Land of Opportunity
by ComicKid99
Summary: Some say the law is the law, others say rules are made to be broken. Employees of NYC's top law firm juggle clients, cases, competition with family, friends, sex and romance. Suits AU with characters from the TV show and the books. Eventual Clace, Malec, Sizzy, etc.
1. Ignite The World

Simon Lewis rode his bike everywhere around New York; it was one of the quickest ways to get around the city once you got enough practice dodging the masses of people constantly walking amongst the busy streets. He'd ride through the rainiest storms, the coldest nights and even in the fog and the snow. He'd ride the squeaky old bike every day; the most normal thing in the world.

While he still rode his bike, today was not any normal day. Today was the most important job interview of his life - an interview at Lightwood Garroway.

He never expected to even get a reply when he sent in his application; he'd never worked at a law firm before and Lightwood Garroway was one of the absolute best. In only a few years they had garnered an impeccable reputation, big name clients and millions of dollars. They practically ruled New York, and now he had the chance to work for them. He'd be starting as a paralegal and working his way up (hopefully), but he knew that was definitely for the best. He needed to keep his head down if he was going to work there, and no one could know why.

The Lightwood Garroway building looked as if it could reach the sun. Sunlight reflected among the thousands of glass windows. The company name was displayed proudly right on top of the skyscraper for all to see. As Simon brought his bike to a stop outside the building, he had never felt smaller. He secured the bike in the shelter outside and checked his reflection in the mirror; he adjusted his dark hair as best he could and hoped the creases in his cheap suit weren't as bad as he thought they looked (and what was he thinking when he chose that tie?).

As he walked into the main reception, he wondered whether he should keep the laptop case strung over his shoulder or carry it like a briefcase. He decided to leave it over one shoulder as he approached the metal archways where employee after employee scanned their keycards to enter the main part of the building.

Simon stood awkwardly at the gate for a moment, staring at the guard stood next to it. "…Hi."

The guard turned to look at him. "Can I help you in any way, sir?"

"Ooh, 'sir'! I like you." Simon chuckled lightly. The guard remained emotionless.

"…Anyway," Simon continued on, "I'm here for a job interview?"

"Name?"

"Lewis. Simon Lewis. Two first names." Simon grinned.

The guard picked up a clipboard, flicked through a few pages and crossed out a name. "Interviews are on the 35th floor. Go on through."

"Awesome! Thanks!" Simon smiled, walking through the archway and heading for an elevator. It already had a lot of smartly dressed men and women in it but he squeezed in and looked at the buttons; the number 35 was already lit up, so he took a deep breath as the doors closed and waited to arrive at his destination.

…

"No."

Jace Wayland knew who he was and what he wanted; nothing and no one had ever altered his opinions or instincts and probably never would. He was always told growing up that his arrogance and utter belief in himself would be his undoing, and of course he told them that they had too cynical an attitude.

Despite being a very handsome man, with striking eyes and radiant golden hair, his personality had been known to irk a lot of people, and today had been no exception as he sat in his office on the 38th floor of Lightwood Garroway, feet up on his desk as his superiors Robert and Maryse Lightwood stood before him.

"Jace, this isn't a negotiation." Robert insisted, his dark eyes a mix of admiration and annoyance as he looked at Jace.

"You're right, because the answer is no." Jace repeated.

Maryse took a step closer to Jace's desk, the sunlight beaming through the window illuminating her sleek black dress and giving life to the golden necklace around her neck. "Jace, you don't get a choice with this. It's a tradition and the least you can do is do as we ask for once."

"Why?"

" _Why_? Do you realise what an honour it is for you to be made a senior partner at this firm?" Robert asked, appalled.

"An honour I've earned fair and square. I'm the best at what I do. I make this firm millions and you know it, otherwise I wouldn't have been promoted in the first place." Jace remarked.

"You're the youngest employee to ever make senior partner…why am I starting to think this would just inflate your ego even more?" Maryse wondered.

"Because it absolutely will." Jace smirked.

"Enough of trying to talk your way out of this! Every new senior partner at the firm has employed an associate attorney to work for them." Robert stated as if it were a law written on a stone tablet.

"I. Don't. Want. One. I work better as a solo act. I'm like the male Beyoncé." Jace smiled.

"We've already outlines candidates for you to interview on the 35th floor; all you have to do is pick one." Maryse said.

"I'll take the hottest one." Jace grinned.

"Be serious, Jace." Robert said.

"You want me to be serious now? Before you've told me to be myself since that has what has won me all of my cases. Really Rob, where will the contradictions end? You're sounding like the so-called witness I tore to shreds last week." Jace chuckled.

"Do NOT call me Rob again."

"Sorry, Rob."

"JACE." Maryse said, her voice raised in a way she rarely ever did. But when she did, you should never risk not listening. Jace was silent. "I will allow it to be for a trial period of two weeks. If after that you still don't want an associate, then we can dismiss them."

Robert opened his mouth to object, but a glare for Maryse silenced him.

"…Two weeks." Jace agreed reluctantly. Robert walked angrily out of the room, saying nothing. "Gramps is a bit touchy, huh?"

"Robert deserves respect you don't give him. That can't continue, not now you're senior partner. You've earned it, yes, but remember it can easily be taken away too, especially if you don't pay the fee to join the council." Maryse explained.

"You'll have it by tomorrow morning, don't worry." Jace said, fiddling with a pencil.

"…You do remember there a three name partners, don't you? Lightwood isn't the only surname on that door." Maryse warned.

"I do, though I don't think good old Mr Garroway remembers I exist since he hasn't come to congratulate me on my promotion." Jace rolled his eyes.

"Luke is a busy man. He makes this firm a lot of money too, you know. It took us a lot to convince him to allow your promotion. He objected strongly." Maryse explained.

"He doesn't respect me, that's why."

"You don't respect him either."

"Maryse, your intelligence never ceases to amaze me."

"Your sense of humour never ceases to annoy me."

"That's just what someone with no sense of humour would say."

"Candidates are on the 35th floor, Charlie Chaplin. Your secretary is already down there waiting for you. You never know, you might find someone you really like." Maryse said as she headed for the door.

"Only if the female Beyoncé is down there waiting." Jace smiled.

Maryse rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless as she headed out and toward her office.

…

The elevator door opening on the 35th floor was like stepping into a whole new world (even as Simon thought that, it took a lot of self-control not to burst out singing the song from Aladdin). Simon stepped out with a few other people, but felt rather out of place to see them all know exactly where they were headed.

Along one side of the seemingly endless space were a string of secluded rooms, while the other side was full to bursting with desks in separate cubicles; each and every one was occupied with men and women working hard. There was also a constant flurry of movement as workers headed to collected forms they had printed off or perform a million other tasks they had to do before they could go home in the evening.

Despite the organised chaos, Simon noted that the place looked squeaky clean; a well-oiled machine. There was a sense of harmony about the area, like everyone knew what they were doing and that it all came to them naturally. Deep down, Simon was terrified he'd fall apart. Part of him wanted to leave; a larger part of him knew he absolutely should.

"You okay there?"

Simon turned to see where the gentle voice had come from, and was greeted by the kind smile of a young woman sat at a cubicle nearby to where he was stood. Her fiery red hair was striking (in a good way), and her small frame should have made her blend in with the other workers but something about her was always going to stand out. She was rather beautiful, which probably helped.

"…Me? Yeah, I'm fine. You?" Simon asked instinctively, regretting it instantly and showing it on his face.

The young woman laughed. "I'm good. I can't help but notice you look a bit lost. Are you new?"

Simon walked up to the edge of her cubicle, looking down at her sat at her desk. "I'm here for an interview, actually."

"Oh yeah, I forgot they were interviewing for new paralegals today. They cleared out the whole floor below to make room for you all. The IT department aren't too happy about having less space but they'll get over it. I'm Clary." The woman said kindly, offering out her hand. Simon shook it happily.

"Simon. Nice to meet you."

"And you. Don't worry about the interview; I'm sure you'll do great. It's pretty intense working here, and there's a lot to do, but that's just the business we're in. I love it though. Hopefully I'll climb the ranks one day, but being a paralegal isn't so bad." Clary explained.

"Oh…you're a paralegal?" Simon asked.

Clary looked surprised. "Of course, we all are here. Have you, uh, have you never worked at a law firm before?"

"What? Of _course_ I have. Totally! Yeah, I've worked at all the firms." Simon lied (badly).

Clary chuckled. "…Okay…well, good luck with the interview. As long as you know your stuff it'll be a piece of cake. It's not getting the job you have to worry about, it's keeping it. They have very high standards, but that's why Lightwood Garroway is the best of the best. But you already know that."

Simon pushed his glasses back up to the top of his nose. "Ha, yep. I…I definitely do."

"Good." Clary smiled.

"…Could you, uh…would you mind…do you think…is it too much to ask…am I able…?"

"You posed a lot of questions there without finishing them."

"I did. Sorry. I ramble. I, uh…could you just run down the hierarchy of this place for me?" Simon asked.

"…You did research this place, right?" Clary wondered.

"Of course! A little bit." Simon admitted shyly.

Clary stared at Simon suspiciously for a few moments. "Right…well the main people you need to concern yourself with are firstly the IT department, the clue is in the name. That's run by a woman called Dorothea – she's a bit odd, so I'd keep an eye on her if you ever needed her help – and then there's paralegals like me and hopefully you. Then there are associate attorneys who help out with cases and can also handle their own if necessary. They work with and for the partners, be it junior partner, senior partner or name-slash-managing partner. They're the big bosses. Managing partners here are Robert and Maryse Lightwood and Luke Garroway; they're also name partners, as you may have guessed considering their names are on the door. Robert and Maryse co-founded the firm right at the beginning and Luke bought his way in few years later. Jace Wayland got promoted to senior partner just this week; I've never met him but apparently he's a snob but he makes the firm a lot of money. Robert and Maryse's children, Alec and Isabelle, are associate attorneys so technically they work for Jace as well as the managing partners. I don't really know them very well either." Clary explained.

"Bit weird, a whole family working together like that." Simon noted.

"It started as a family business; they only brought in others in order to survive. You have to do what you have to do, and now look at how huge the firm is. Rumour has it that Alec and Isabelle haven't made partner yet because Robert and Maryse don't want anyone thinking they're just handing out the top jobs to their kids. From what I've seen though, they're both damn good at what they do. They all are here, I suppose." Clary added.

Clary's attention was drawn to something behind Simon; he turned and saw an older red-haired woman with a clipboard escorting someone to the elevator. She looked over and waved. Simon smiled and waved back; the woman's face dropped before Simon realised she was waving at Clary.

"Who's that?" Simon asked.

"That is the woman you need to talk to; she's managing all the interviewees today. Her name's Jocelyn, Jace Wayland's secretary and the most badass woman I know. I can vouch for her niceness. Look, I really need to get back to work but she'll sort you out, good luck!" Clary smiled.

"Thanks, and thanks for all the info. It'll be super helpful!" Simon grinned as he headed towards Jocelyn.

Clary watched him go through gritted teeth. "So underprepared…poor guy. No way is he remembering all that."

Simon reached Jocelyn and smiled politely at her, saying nothing. After a few moments of silence, Jocelyn spoke.

"…As much as I love uncomfortable silence, knowing your name might be a big help."

"Oh! Sorry! Lewis. Simon. Simon Lewis."

"And you're here for an interview?"

"Nah, I just have a fetish for women in smart dresses." Simon joked. Jocelyn looked at him as if he'd just jumped into the large waste bin beside them and started undressing. "Sorry…yeah, I'm here for an interview. Paralegal position."

"Let me just find you." Jocelyn said, flicking through the papers on her clipboard.

"Fourth page, seventh name down." Simon said suddenly. Jocelyn looked at him in shock for a moment before turning to the fourth page. Sure enough, his name was listed seventh.

"…How did you know that?" Jocelyn asked.

"The guard downstairs has the same list. I remembered." Simon answered.

"That's certainly impressive." A new voice announced. Jocelyn and Simon turned to see Jace stood there with a grin, having just walked out of the elevator. "I haven't seen anyone make Jocelyn here look that surprised since…well, ever."

"Oh, sorry…I…I didn't mean to surprise you in any way, I just thought it'd save time and be helpful. I, uh, I have an eidetic memory, you see. I read or see things once and that's it; it's in my head forever." Simon said.

"…That's a hell of a tool to have in this business. Where did you work before?" Jace enquired.

"Uh, well…nowhere."

"…You don't have any experience working at a firm?" Jace asked.

"No. I uh…straight out of law school, you know? I, uh, I got my degree and came running here. Best of the best." Simon chuckled nervously.

"And you got an interview with no experience? You must have got some good recommendations." Jace noted.

"He's interviewing to be a paralegal." Jocelyn informed him.

"…A paralegal? A man with a talent like that, you'd be wasted doing paralegal crap." Jace said.

"Paralegals are essential cogs in the machine, Jace." Jocelyn said sternly.

"That they are, but not every paralegal can read a book then recite it back to me. But I bet you can, right?" Jace asked Simon, who nodded tentatively. "You've read the BarBri Legal Handbook I take it?"

"YES!" Simon exclaimed excitedly. Jace and Jocelyn looked at him as if he'd just jumped out of the large waste bin and then jumped right back in again. "Sorry. I, uh, yes. I have."

Jace looked at Simon for a moment. "…Follow me."

"But my interview…?" Simon argued.

"This _is_ an interview. Come on." Jace said, leading Simon into one of the rooms on the left half of the room while Jocelyn looked on curiously. "Sit down."

Simon sat down at a chair in the middle of a long, narrow table taking up the length of the room. Skyscraper after skyscraper could be seen through the large windows making up the room walls. Jace sat in the chair directly opposite him.

"BarBri Legal Handbook…" Jace echoed and paused for a moment, not taking his eyes away from Simon's. "…Civil liability associated with the agency is based on several factors, including -"

"-the deviation of the agent from his path, the reasonable inference of agency on behalf of the plaintiff, and the nature of the damages themselves." Simon finished faultlessly.

Jace stared at him in silence for a moment. "Holy shit. You recall that quick as a flash?"

"Only had to read it once." Simon shrugged, but not in an arrogant way.

"That's the only sentence in that book I can quote word for word yet you could sit here and repeat every goddamn page of it to me if I asked." Jace commented.

"…Are you asking?" Simon wondered.

"No, I don't have the time for that. Okay then…stock option backdating. Let's talk about that. Backdating options is legal, but violations arose related to disclosures under RIC section 409A." Jace initiated.

"Except you're forgetting Sarbanes-Oxley." Simon said.

"The statute of limitations render Sarbanes-Oxley mute post-2007." Jace returned.

"Not if you can find actions to cover up the violation, established in the Sixth Circuit, May 2008." Simon stated.

Jace looked stunned. "How old are you?"

"Twenty four." Simon replied.

"A year younger than me…you graduated fast." Jace noted.

"…Pretty easy when you can learn everything you need to in a few hours. But you didn't take too long, don't feel bad." Simon smiled.

"Bantering now, are we? Excellent. Too many people think we all have to be serious…you prepared to work hard here? Do all you need to do?" Jace asked.

"Of course." Simon nodded.

"Great. Fancy being my associate?" Jace asked casually.

Simon nearly squealed. "I…I'm sorry?"

"I've just been made senior partner. I've been told I have to get an associate, two week trial basis; though I wasn't expecting anyone to come across as well as you do. I think we understand each other, and that's what counts. There's people who can do their job and there's people who can work with me. You're both. I like following my gut. Plus, you weren't on the list of candidates for this job and it'll make Robert and Maryse furious." Jace explained happily.

"But…you don't want to go over my CV or…?"

"Nah, you wouldn't be here if you didn't have the knowhow. Besides, anything that's new to you you'll learn after doing it once. It's a lot easier to smell the bullshit in words from the mouth opposed to words on a page. I have a good feeling about you…what was your name again?"

"Simon."

"Right. What do you say Simon?" Jace asked, offering out his hand.

"…I mean, I…this just escalated really quickly, I…"

"You'll be getting paid more than triple what a paralegal earns."

Simon's hand shook Jace's. "When do I start?"

"Monday. But let me show you around a bit first." Jace said, leading Simon out of the room. "Jocelyn, cancel the interviews. I've found my guy."

"But he wasn't even interviewing for that position." Jocelyn argued.

"And yet I know he'll be better than all of those that are combined. A law firm and yet there was almost an injustice…shocking." Jace grinned, winking at Jocelyn as he and a bewildered Simon stepped into the elevator. Simon just had time to clock Clary looking at him in shock as the doors closed.

…

"Welcome to the 38th floor." Jace grinned as the elevator doors opened. "I'm sure I can sort out some office space for you on this floor eventually, but for now you'll probably be on 34. Or if you liked the look of 35 I can get someone swapped out for you."

"Uh…I'll have to think on it. Sorry, this still seems so mad." Simon admitted.

"And that's exciting, right?" Jace grinned wildly.

"Right." Simon smiled as he and Jace reached Jace's office and headed inside.

"This is my humble abode. They just need to change the word 'junior' to 'senior' underneath my name on the door, but they'll get on that pretty quick. The managing partners have offices on this floor as well, as well as two associates – Alec and Isabelle." Jace explained.

"Those are Robert and Maryse's kids, right?"

"Yep."

"And the other associates aren't bothered that Alec and Isabelle get their own offices but they don't?" Simon questioned.

"They probably do, but if they voiced their annoyance they'd get fired. The number of people who want to work here is unbelievable. We get flooded with calls. Well, Jocelyn does. Finest secretary there is, that woman. Besides, you're unlikely to see more than one Lightwood working on the same case as it brings about issues with ethics and conflicts of interest blah, blah, blah. They don't benefit from their blood as much as people like to complain about. Robert and Maryse are pretty strict parents from what I hear. Hell, I started out so young it sometimes feels like they raised me as well." Jace revealed.

"Lot of history between you and the Lightwoods, then?" Simon wondered.

"Indeed there is, but most of it is boring and I've got work to get on with. I'll be seeing you on Monday, bright and early. Also, you need to buy a new suit because that is terrible and the tie is too thin." Jace remarked.

Simon looked down at his suit. "What's wrong with a light grey suit?"

"Nothing, it just needs to cost enough to put a dent in your wallet; it looks like you found it on the street."

"Okay, fine, fine. Anyway, uh…thanks for taking a chance on me. I won't let you down, I promise." Simon said.

"You better not. Off you go." Jace said and turned to his computer. Simon stood there awkwardly for a moment, expecting Jace to say something more, but he didn't and so he went.

He walked out of the room and was already unsure of which way to go.

"To the left!" Jace shouted from inside his office, the clear windows of his office allowing him to see Simon. Simon looked back and held his hand up in gratefulness before continuing on. Just as the elevator came back into his vision, he nearly crashed right into a young man walking out of an office to Simon's right.

"Woah, sorry! Wasn't concentrating for a minute there." Simon chuckled awkwardly.

The man looked at him as if he were a piece of dirt. "This is a law firm, concentration is key. Who are you?"

"Simon Lewis."

"A name is all very well and good, but I was kind of wondering what you were doing on this floor?" The man asked. He had jet black hair and brilliant blue eyes.

"Talking to Jace." Simon said timidly. He felt extremely intimidated.

"I'd appreciate a bit more detail in your answers."

"…Right…sorry. I'm his new associate." Simon revealed.

The man's face seemed to tense up even more, as if he were holding back a lot of rage. "I see. Let's hope you can live up to our high standards."

"Alec!" A woman's voice yelled from behind the two men.

Simon almost had to hold his jaw to stop it hitting the floor. The young woman walking up to them was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Silky black hair falling down her head and shoulders like satin sheets on a bed, a short purple dress showing off an outstanding figure and dark eyes that felt like an invitation to the greatest party of all time.

"She is _hot_." Simon said impulsively and without thinking.

The blue eyed man glared at him. "She's also my sister."

Simon went white as a sheet. "Of course she is."

The beautiful woman stopped in front of the men and handed Alec a sheet of paper. "The affidavit you asked for."

"Thanks." Alec said, looking over the paper as she properly noticed Simon for the first time. Simon was scared he'd never be able to speak again after seeing her. If the blue eyed man was Alec and this was his sister, she must be –

"Isabelle Lightwood," she said, holding out her hand, "and you might be…?"

"Lewis. Simon Lewis, two first names. I've gotta stop introducing myself like that." Simon mumbled. He didn't even need to look at Alec to know he was rolling his eyes. Isabelle's lips perked into a radiant smile as Simon shook her hand.

"I hope my brother wasn't giving you too much of a hard time." Isabelle said.

"This is _Jace's_ new associate." Alec said, his eyes still on the paper in his hands. Simon didn't like the disdain in Alec's voice when he said Jace's name.

"Oh, I see. Nice glasses." Isabelle said.

"Thanks. Nice…uh…dress." Simon winced.

"Oh, I know. How do you think I got our client to sign that?" Isabelle smirked, looking at the paper Alec held.

"I, uh, I look forward to working with you." Simon said.

"Yeah, it'll be a blast." Alec sighed, sarcasm dripping off his words.

"Ignore him. See you around, Simon Lewis." Isabelle smiled. Simon smiled back before awkwardly rushing off towards the elevator.

"I don't like him." Alec said as he and Isabelle walked the opposite direction down the corridor.

"You don't like anyone." Isabelle argued.

"I don't know; you're okay in small doses, little sister."

"Oh, thanks. He seems a bit clumsy but sweet enough. I really did like his glasses. His face was even better." Isabelle smirked.

"Jace doesn't deserve his own associate." Alec groaned.

"Maybe not, but don't hold that against the associate. We need to give him a chance at least." Isabelle noted.

"I won't need to give him a chance because I won't be working with him on anything." Alec said sternly.

Isabelle grabbed Alec's arm to stop him walking any further. "…When did you last speak to mom and dad?"

"Don't know, don't care. Obviously they don't either."

"Alec…"

"I don't want to hear it, Izzy. They don't need me to be their son when they have Mr Perfect Jace." Alec said and carried on walking. Isabelle watched him go sadly for a moment before following.

…

"Simon Lewis? He wasn't even on the list of candidates." Maryse said.

"He was on _a_ list of candidates." Jace smirked as he got up from his desk to head home for the night.

"Jace…"

"You wanted me to hire an associate, and I did. In my own way of doing things. The guy's got talents; I have a good feeling about him." Jace said.

"…And you checked his background, CV, references…?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's all good. Look, I'm so confident in this that I'll revoke the two week trial clause you implemented. I'm officially stuck with him." Jace said.

Maryse looked impressed. "In that case, I hope you made the right choice. Fingers crossed he isn't any trouble."

Jace smiled. "This guy's squeaky clean, he won't let me down."

…

"Honey, I'm home!" Simon shouted as he walked through his apartment door, discarding the laptop case on the table.

A man around Simon's age, his roommate Jordan, walked into the living area from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hand. His long hair was as scruffy as the loose clothing he wore. "Wasn't funny the first time you ever did that, still isn't funny a million times later."

"I highly doubt I've done that a million times." Simon chuckled.

"Feels like it. I can't believe you got that freakin' job. I thought I'd read your text wrong." Jordan said as he sat on the couch and sipped his coffee.

"It was the weirdest thing. I'm gonna make an absolute killing." Simon smiled.

"I can see the flat screen TV already." Jordan grinned.

"It's gonna be great."

"And it all checked out with the background check and everything?"

"Didn't even do any of that, this Jace guy seemed in a rush. I told you my mind would be all I needed." Simon smiled.

"You did, but they'll still be asking you about your past. They'll do the checks eventually." Jordan warned.

"It'll be okay. I paid that computer guy and he did his job." Simon said calmly.

"But if it gets out you don't even have a law degree, you're finished."

"They won't find out. According to the internet and Harvard's records, I do. I can finally live my dream. I was only gonna be a paralegal and keep my head down but I'd have been mad to turn this job down. Don't worry about me, okay?" Simon said.

Jordan sighed. "On your own head…"

"No one will ever know. It's gonna be great." Simon stated. "Nothing's gonna go wrong."


	2. It's A Long Way To The Top

"Okay, how do I look?" Simon asked as he walked out of his bedroom and in front of the apartment couch, where Jordan was sat. He was wearing his new suit; light grey with a crisp white shirt, shiny black shoes and a thick tie in the same material as the suit itself.

Jordan took him in for a moment and smiled. "Like a perfect little fraudster."

"Shut up, be serious." Simon groaned, smoothing out his sleeves.

"Was I not being serious? Are you not a fraudster?"

"Well at least I have a job." Simon said.

"It's a work in progress, give me a break. I still pay my half of the rent." Jordan argued.

"You mean your parents pay your half of the rent." Simon corrected.

"Well, they give me the money first to give to the landlord, so technically _I_ pay the rent."

"You're an ass." Simon chuckled.

"You look fine, Si. Can I get back to watching my show now?" Jordan asked.

Simon turned to look at the TV. "You're STILL watching this crap?"

"The guy has FOUR WIVES, Simon, FOUR. I can't even get a girl to _look_ at me."

"Maybe if you actually left the apartment at some point…" Simon smirked.

"When you only ever leave the apartment to continue breaking the law, so…" Jordan retaliated.

"…Shut up."

…

The elevator doors opened, allowing Simon to look over floor 35 once again. He'd only been working at Lightwood Garroway for three days, and it was a lot of work, but he had risen to the challenge. He'd liked the feel of the place, so Jace had arranged for him to have his own cubicle there (by paying the man whose space it usually once to move to the floor below). Even better, Simon had been placed right next to the paralegal he'd spoken to on the day he got his job, Clary.

"You look exhausted." Clary smiled as Simon sat at his desk and silently waved at Clary over the short barrier between their cubicles.

"I'm still getting used to starting at 7am, not waking up at 7am." Simon grumbled.

"Did you get the patent filed in the end?" Clary asked.

"Yeah, I worked it out in the end. So much of this is new to me." Simon admitted.

"Well, it's your first proper job in a law firm, it's understandable." Clary stood up and leant over to Simon's ear so she could whisper. "You're the talk of the town right now."

"…I am?" Simon wondered.

"Of course you are! Your first job and you get hired as Jace Wayland's associate! You've turned a few heads, Mr Lewis. You're making enemies; people are getting suspicious." Clary smirked.

"What? They are? B-but I don't have…I don't have anything to hide!" Simon said, his heartbeat speeding up.

"Woah, calm down. I was only kidding! It's just unusual, that's all. No one can say you don't deserve the job, I'm pretty sure you're the only person who's ever impressed Jace Wayland. It must be that super brain you told me about." Clary explained.

"Oh…right. Ha." Simon sighed.

Clary looked over Simon's shoulder and froze for a moment before rushing back to her seat and becoming fixated on her work. Soon enough, Simon realised why as Alec Lightwood was stood at his cubicle looking down on him.

"Enjoying your chat?" Alec asked.

"It was my fault, not hers. I needed her help with something." Simon said.

"An associate who doesn't know how to do anything; gotta love Jace's taste in workers." Alec grumbled.

"It's my first job, give me a break." Simon piped up.

Alec glared at Simon. "It's your third day and you're still a disorganised mess, even if you do have a special memory or whatever. How long do you want people to 'give you a break' for? Couple more months? A few years? Your whole career? Get a grip and stop making excuses. Did you file the patent?"

"The one you could've just filed yourself but asked me to anyway? Yes, I did." Simon said firmly.

Alec was unchanged. "I don't appreciate your attitude."

"Well at least we've found some common ground." Simon returned.

"…Jace wants to see you." Alec said, glaring at Simon and then at Clary before continuing on down the corridor.

"Man, I hate that guy." Simon moaned.

"Good for you for holding your own, though." Clary said. "And thanks for covering for me; I started the conversation after all."

"Just paying you back for your kindness. I better go and see Jace."

…

Jace pressed a button on the phone his desk. "Okay Jocelyn, send him in."

Jocelyn turned to Simon, who was stood at her desk waiting. "Go on in."

"Thanks." Simon smiled, and headed into the office. He hadn't taken much time before to examine the view of New York that Jace had in his office, but it was truly magnificent.

"…I thought I told you to get a new suit?" Jace said, observing Simon.

"…I did! I had to chip into my savings to buy this!" Simon stated.

"…Really? Wow. I bet you can't wait for payday. I suppose it'll have to do then. Question: what are you doing tonight? Answer: you're coming to a fundraiser with me."

"I am?" Simon asked. Jace raised an eyebrow. "I am."

"It's one of our clients, Michael Jameson." Jace said.

"…The motorcycle dealer?" Simon asked.

"You've been doing your homework, good. He calls it a fundraiser but it's more a way of showing off all the antique shit he has in his garage. Still, he's one of our bigger clients so we have to go. Robert, Maryse, Luke and Isabelle will be there too. You haven't met Luke yet, have you?" Jace explained.

"Not yet. No Alec?"

"No Alec. He'd just be a downer anyway." Jace said.

"Is there some hostility between you two? I've been getting that feeling." Simon wondered.

"I believe there is, but it's his problem, not mine. If he wants to sulk about me being promoted over him…again…then so be it. We were thick as thieves not that long ago; funny how things change. We went to law school together. You went to Harvard, didn't you?" Jace asked.

"…Me? Uh, yeah. Loved Harvard. Big up Harvard!" Simon chuckled nervously.

"I'd have loved to have gone there; we could barely afford New York School of Law. I suppose I'll have to take you out for a drink sometime; get to know my associate better." Jace commented.

"I'm flattered, but you're not really my type." Simon laughed.

Jace remained silent. "Inventive. You know where Jameson's shop is, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Meet me there at 8pm sharp. And don't make any jokes."

…

Michael Jameson's store took up the space that three normally would. Thick glass windows spread all across the front showed off a stunning collection of motorcycles that glistened in the vast array of spotlights implanted in the ceiling. Inside, huge crowds of people walked around and gossiped with each other, all with a glass of champagne in hand.

Jace was waiting outside as Simon pulled up next to him on his bike. He got off and secured it against the side of the building. Jace looked at Simon. "You're late."

Simon looked confused. "It's ten to eight?"

"And when I say to get somewhere for a certain time, it means you get there at least 30 minutes before whatever time I said. It's an unspoken rule." Jace said.

"Well I can't know the rule if it's not spoken, can I?" Simon protested.

"What rule?"

"If you say to be somewhere at a certain time, get there at least 30 minutes before said time." Simon said.

"See, you do know it! Make sure it doesn't happen again. Let's go." Jace ordered.

The two headed inside. Simon's eyes were immediately drawn to the glasses of champagne a waitress was carrying around and offering to guests.

"No alcohol, you're working." Jace commanded, before grabbing a glass off another waitress and downing it in one. Simon looked at him in confusion and anger. "I'm your boss; I'm allowed to be a hypocrite."

"Jace!" Maryse called out as she approached the two, Robert and another smartly dressed man with them. He was handsome, with lusciously smooth, dark skin and a muscular physique unlike anything Simon had seen on someone who wore suits.

"This must be your associate." Robert noted, looking at Simon.

"Indeed it is. Simon Lewis, these are your kings and queen. Robert and Maryse Lightwood and Luke Garroway."

Simon shook all their hands, noting to himself that if that was Luke Garroway, he had to make sure to never get on his boss' bad side. Simon nervously laughed. "You know, your names sound kinda familiar."

The three looked at him in confusion while Jace shook his head and sighed.

"Sorry, bad joke." Simon winced.

"It's nice to meet you, Simon. How's Lightwood Garroway treating you so far? I hope no one's causing you any trouble." Luke said warmly, looking at Jace.

Jace smirked. "Don't look at me; it's good old Alexander who's being the jerk to him."

"No, no, he's not that bad really. I'm sure he's just joking around with me." Simon said.

"Alec can be… _difficult_ around new people." Maryse said.

"And everyone else." Jace added with a smile.

"Just give him time." Robert insisted.

"Yeah, he'll probably warm to you in a good forty, fifty years." Jace said.

"There's the rest of the Lightwood Garroway gang! Thank you for coming along!" Michael Jameson exclaimed as he approached the group and shook all their hands. He was an older gentleman with white hair, and stopped as he went to shake Simon's hand. "I don't think we've been introduced before."

"I'm Simon Lewis, Mr Wayland's associate. Nice to meet you, sir. This is quite an extraordinary set up you've got." Simon said.

"Thank you very much, Mr Lewis! Robert, Maryse, I've just been speaking to your daughter; what an intelligent and beautiful young woman she's grown to be." Michael said.

"Yes, we're very proud." Maryse smiled.

Simon looked around a bit and finally saw Isabelle on the other side of the store, chatting away to some other men and women in expensive outfits. She had a ruby red cocktail dress on with a slit down one side to show off her smooth legs. Her hair all fell down one shoulder and the lipstick she wore matching her dress somehow only elevated the natural elegance she possessed. Simon was tempted to take off his glasses and wipe them on his shirt because there was no way anyone could possibly look that beautiful.

"I'd stop staring at your superiors' daughter if I were you." Jace whispered in Simon's ear, bringing him back to reality. "Also, you don't need to call me Mr Wayland in front of old clients, you nerd. And what did I say about making jokes?"

"Sorry, it's a defence mechanism." Simon said.

"You're lucky you're a bloody clever guy."

Before Simon knew it, Michael had wondered off to talk to more guests and was now invested in an intelligent discussion with Robert and Maryse about how he was settling in at work. However, their conversation was soon interrupted by two other men.

The older of the two had a wise, sophisticated face, his bald head and greying stubble indicating that of a hard-working man. The other man was slightly younger; long dirty blonde hair almost covered his eyes, but his eyes seemed to look older than the rest of him, as if they were weighed down by the things he had seen in the past. They both wore identical black suits, with the initials MS embroidered onto their ties. The obvious tension that suddenly appeared in the air, as well as the faces of his colleagues, showed Simon that they all knew these two men but would rather they didn't.

"Robert, Maryse, Luke…isn't this a wonderful event?" The older man said.

"Why are you here, Valentine?" Robert asked.

"…I love motorcycles. Plus, it never hurts to play the field and put our names out there should Mr Jameson want to be represented by a more… _sophisticated_ law firm."

"I did notice the little advertisement on your ties there." Luke said flatly.

"You like them? They were my idea." The younger man smirked smugly.

"They're great; it's nice that you're spreading the word about Multiple Sclerosis. I'm inspired." Jace said.

"It stands for Morgenstern Starkweather and you know it."

"Hello Jace, good to see you." Valentine smiled. "And who is this?"

"Simon Lewis, my associate." Jace said.

"Ah yes, I heard about your promotion. Well done, Jace. And Mr Lewis, good to meet you. I hope they're paying you well." Valentine smiled.

"They are." Simon nodded sheepishly.

"Good, good. Well, we won't keep you any longer. See you around, everyone. Good luck with the job, Mr Lewis, I have a feeling we're going to be seeing more of each other soon." Valentine said as he and the younger man walked off together.

"Prick." Robert cursed under his breath.

"That was Valentine Morgenstern and Hodge Starkweather, co-founders of Morgenstern Starkweather. Valentine is managing partner, Hodge is senior partner. They're our biggest competitor, always trying to steal our clients. They're also both complete bastards." Jace explained to Simon.

"I was getting that vibe, yeah." Simon noted.

"Don't worry about them. Valentine always likes making empty threats, and Hodge is just his plaything who is under the false pretence that he actually has some power in his own company." Maryse explained.

"I think I need a drink now." Robert said before wandering off to find a waitress. Maryse and Luke followed him, leaving Simon and Jace alone.

"I didn't realise we had a rival firm." Simon said.

"We're a law firm in New York City, of course there's competition. Those two like to play dirty yet still somehow manage to stay within the law. They like bending rules." Jace explained.

Isabelle hurried over to the two men. "Were mom, dad and Luke just talking to who I think they were?"

"Yep." Jace confirmed.

"Ugh, the little snakes. Hi, Simon." Isabelle smiled.

"Hi Isabelle you look very nice." Simon blabbed, his face going red as Jace held back laughter.

Isabelle chuckled lightly. "Thank you. Do you think Jameson would go with Morgenstern Starkweather?" Isabelle asked Jace, who shook his head.

"No way. He's known Robert and Maryse for years, he's loyal."

"Good." Isabelle said before the phone in her hand vibrated. "Alec's been texting me non-stop since I got here, wanting to know every little detail. I love him but I hate him."

"Then he should've come, Valentine and Hodge wouldn't have come and talked to us that way in fear of being bored to death." Jace said.

"Don't be mean. Right, I'm gonna go back over to the old guy in the corner. He's looking for someone to manage his investment portfolio." Isabelle explained, pulling her dress a little bit further down her chest. "Men are pigs. Not you though, Simon; love the new suit."

Isabelle winked at Simon and walked off again. Simon watched her go, his mouth open, and Jace started laughing. "She stands within five feet of you and you turn to pudding."

"No I don't." Simon blushed.

"You're wasting your time there. You'd have better luck with that pretty redhead you're placed next to on the 35th floor." Jace said.

"Oh, are you and her…?"

"God no, she's like a sister to me. It's just that she eats guys like you for breakfast. She's not the type of girl to fall head over heels. Now come on, let's go see if we can steal a motorcycle." Jace said.

"You're kidding, right?" Simon questioned worriedly.

"…Sure." Jace grinned, patting Simon on the back and walking off.

"I find that answer vague and unconvincing." Simon muttered and followed.

In the corner, Valentine and Hodge watched Simon and Jace walk around and inspect all the extravagant bikes on show.

"What do you think of Jace's associate guy?" Hodge asked.

"He seems like an intelligent man. But Jace has just been made senior partner of Lightwood Garroway, which means he's nervous and desperate to prove himself. He'll be more prone to slipping up now more than ever. I think it's time we made a move." Valentine explained.

"Send in some guys to work him up?" Hodge suggested. Valentine nodded.

"Get Magnus and Ragnor on the phone. Work it around their schedules. Give it a few months and we'll be on top of the world, my friend."

…

The next morning, a smiling Isabelle walked into Alec's office. He looked up from his computer and smirked. "Someone looks happy."

"That's because someone got us a new client last night; right perv, but money matters." Isabelle said, sitting on Alec's desk.

"Don't sit on my desk." Alec groaned.

"Oh, lighten up big brother. What are you doing?" Isabelle asked.

"Going over the emails between Roderick Peterson and Loyalist Printing. I'm so glad this is going to court; they don't have a leg to stand on. Easy money maker, this one. How was last night?" Alec said.

"…Valentine and Hodge were there."

"Shiiiiit."

"Basically, yeah. I looked over and you could see it in dad's eyes; he wanted to punch the smugness right off Valentine's wiry little face." Isabelle recounted.

"I would've gone, but…you know." Alec grumbled.

"Alec, you need to move past this whole thing with Jace."

"No! Izzy, he's a liability and mom and dad treat him like royalty! We've been stuck doing this for what feels like an eternity and in that time Jace became junior partner and now senior partner. It's not fair! I tell you now, he's gonna get that dorky new associate of his to do his work for him and take all the credit. Though that may be a stretch too far; that Lewis guy doesn't have a clue what he's doing and somehow he got a law degree at HARVARD." Alec explained angrily.

"Our time will come, okay? Just be patient; I'm frustrated about it too, but I trust mom and dad. And you can't blame Simon for being a little confused; it's his first job at a firm. He was interviewing for a paralegal job, for god's sake." Isabelle said.

Alec stared at her. "He was _what_?"

"Jocelyn told me he was interviewing to be a paralegal; Jace noticed him and offered him the associate job. Didn't even interview the actual candidates."

"That's ludicrous. I helped mom and dad hand pick the applicants! And they just let Jace go ahead and hire someone with no experience and give him the same job as US? No way in hell is that gonna fly." Alec seethed, standing up and storming out of his office, heading towards Robert and Maryse's quarters. Isabelle hurried after him.

"Alec, relax! Jace is a professional too, just trust his judgement!"

"I wouldn't trust Jace's judgement if my life depended on it." Alec said, pushing open the door to Robert and Maryse's office without knocking. "What the hell are you doing letting Jace hire someone to be his associate who only came to interview for a paralegal job?!"

Robert and Maryse looked at one another; for Alec's sake they needed to pretend they didn't already know this information.

"…What?" Robert asked.

Alec turned to Isabelle. "Tell them."

"I'm not dropping Simon in it; it's not his fault." Isabelle stated.

"Simon Lewis came to interview for a paralegal job; Jace overheard him talking to Jocelyn about some crap and then offered him the job without even seeing the actual candidates we'd prepared for him!" Alec revealed.

Maryse sighed and pressed a button on the phone on her desk. "Jace, get in here now."

Soon enough, Jace wandered in, chomping on an apple. "What's up?"

"The game's up Jace." Alec warned.

"I'm sorry?" Jace wondered.

"Did you hire Simon Lewis without interviewing the actual candidates for the job? Apparently he was interviewing to be a paralegal." Robert asked, his eyes indicating to Jace to play along.

"…So?" Jace said. Alec's rage was clear.

"And you let _him_ be a senior partner? He doesn't give a crap about this firm or the people in it." Alec stated.

"Bullshit! _You_ care too much to be able to concentrate on what really matters. This is about you not getting the top jobs and being jealous, not about me or Simon. I saw something great in him and I took a chance on the guy. How often is it that I actually _want_ to work with someone?" Jace argued.

"Jace, it took us a long time to put together those candidates for you." Maryse said.

"I appreciate that and I apologise, but I trust my gut. I'm sure all of those candidates would've been great associates, but I found someone else with a natural gift for this sort of work and Alec's trying to make it sound like a bad thing."

"It's reckless!" Alec exclaimed.

"Nathan Tanner." Jace said, silencing the room.

"You're gonna just keeping playing the 'Nathan Tanner' card aren't you?" Alec asked.

"Well you keep playing the 'Jace doesn't care' card so, yeah. Tanner comes to us with huge amounts of money to defend him at his murder trial, convinces you all he's innocent, I see through the bullshit and reject him, you all get pissed off at me, turns out the guy is guilty and tried to attack a witness. Do you know which firm represented him?" Jace asked.

"…No." Robert said.

"Exactly, because after that they crashed, burned and disappeared into the void; no one would go to the people who stood by a murderer even after his sentencing. Yes, they had to because it's the law, but at the end of the day they made the wrong call and if not for me this firm probably wouldn't be where it is right now. I had a gut feeling and it paid off. You trust me enough to make me a senior partner, so trust in my gut feeling again. Simon's gonna come through and do amazing things, I just sped up the process a bit. Please." Jace pleaded.

Robert and Maryse looked at one another for a moment.

"…You better be right." Maryse said. Jace nodded appreciatively.

"This is a joke. Prince Jace is always gonna win, huh?" Alec said furiously.

"Alec…" Isabelle began.

"Don't, Izzy. Just don't. So much for family."

"Alexander, please. We have to handle the process of promoting our own family tentatively. You need to put your name firmly on the map first. It's a long way to the top, but that doesn't mean you won't get there." Robert said meaningfully.

"…Forgive me for not believing a word of that." Alec said venomously before storming out.

Maryse looked at Isabelle. "Isabelle…"

"It's okay mom, I understand. I'll talk to him." Isabelle smiled softly before walking out.

Jace watched her go then turned back to Robert and Maryse with a whistle. "Woah, the drama! And I thought this apple was juicy…"

"Jace, this isn't a joke." Maryse said sternly.

"If you're wrong about Simon, you're done." Robert warned.

Jace looked at them both. "I'm not. Is that everything?"

Maryse sighed. "Yes, that will be all."

Jace took another bite of his apple and walked out, saying nothing more.

…

"Man, I only had one glass of champagne when Jace wasn't looking and my head is _killing_ me." Simon sighed as he read over some documents at his desk.

"Such a lightweight! I'll have to take you out on the town one weekend." Clary chuckled.

"That sounds hellish. I'm in." Simon grinned and the two laughed together.

Alec seemed to appear out of nowhere, walking into Simon's cubicle and slamming his hands down onto his desk. His unwavering stare into Simon's eyes made Simon uncomfortable very quickly.

"You don't belong here, and I'm gonna prove it. Don't even bother trying to put up a fight." Alec said spitefully before standing up and walking off. Simon went white as a sheet as he and Clary watched him go.

"…Don't worry about him. It's like you said the other day, you've got nothing to hide." Clary said.

Simon faked a smile. "…Yeah. Exactly."


	3. The World We're In Now

"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?"

Simon looked away from the static-filled screen of his computer and up at Clary, who stood over his cubicle watching him, as if she'd just suggested he throw himself out of the window and see if he could fly. "Really? That's your great advice?"

"No, my great advice was to tell you to back up your data onto a USB or something because these paralegal computers are crap and unreliable." Clary stated.

"But I'm not a paralegal!" Simon argued.

"No, but you're working in the space where one would normally be."

"Crap, I'd nearly finished editing that contract too. Is there any chance some of it saved?" Simon asked.

"From experience, I'm gonna tell you to accept defeat, briefly mourn and start over." Clary said sympathetically, patting Simon on the back.

"Great." Simon sighed, leaning back in his chair with his head in his hands.

"You could always try going to the IT department." Clary suggested.

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't know where it is. And I'm not good with strangers."

"You don't say?" Clary smiled.

"Why are these computers so cruddy anyway?" Simon asked.

"The big bosses spent too much on plants and wallpaper for their offices and one day thought 'oh, we still need to buy equipment for the paralegals to use but we don't have much of a budget left – still, they'll make do'." Clary replied.

"That's pretty unfair."

"The law is hard but it is the law." Clary shrugged as she sat back at her desk.

"…Crap. Better get back on it then." Simon groaned as he rebooted the computer. As he waited for it to start up, two hands grabbed the edge of his cubicle. He looked up to see Jace looking down on him.

"Finished going over the contract yet?" Jace asked.

"No, the computer crashed on me." Simon grumbled.

"And you didn't save any of it to a USB or something?" Jace wondered.

"I did tell him to do that." Clary commented as she continued working at her desk.

"See? Your neighbour here clearly has a little something called common sense. I'm sure there's a book on it you can read so it can stay in that mad little head of yours. At least you bought a better suit. Oh, wait. No you didn't." Jace smirked.

"I'm getting the feeling this job is gonna be sixty percent you taking the piss out of me." Simon sighed.

"Only sixty? Note to self: must try harder."

"You'll only make enemies if you tease everyone you ever meet." Simon warned.

"I'm a lawyer; I make a new enemy every day. Today it was the cat that nearly knocked me off my feet as I walked out of my apartment this morning. If I see that little bastard again, I won't miss." Jace recalled.

"Miss? What did you do to the cat?" Simon grew worried.

"Nothing! Like I said, I missed."

"Was there anything else you want to make fun of while you're here?" Simon wondered.

"Hmm…I feel like there must be a joke about your glasses floating around." Jace said.

"I call him Harry Potter because his glasses are round." Clary chimed in.

Simon groaned while Jace laughed. "Yes! Harry Potter, nice one Clary."

Clary looked shocked. "You…you know my name?"

"Yeah; my secretary Jocelyn has sung your praises a few times. She told me to keep an eye on the pretty redhead on floor 35." Jace explained.

Clary looked around. "I'm not the only redhead."

"But you are the only pretty one." Jace smiled and turned to Simon. "Walk with me."

Jace headed for the elevator. Simon quickly got his things together and followed, smirking as he saw the bright shade of red Clary's cheeks had gone as she pretended to be busy working.

"How do you do it?" Simon asked Jace as the elevator doors closed and headed up.

"Do what?"

"Talk to women like that. You make it look so easy." Simon said.

"It _is_ easy when you look like me. Not so easy when you look like Harry Potter." Jace smirked.

"…That nickname's not going anywhere anytime soon, is it?"

"You're a wizard, Harry."

The elevator doors opened and Jace and Simon walked past Jocelyn and directly into Jace's office. Simon noticed the vast amount of decorating supplies in the corridors and even in the offices, Jace's included. "What's all this?"

"Robert, Maryse and Luke are redecorating their offices but can't make up their minds on anything so ordered too much crap and with nowhere else to put it, it gets dumped anywhere. There's this guy who works on this floor, Frank. He's got OCD, had to take a few sick days. Bless him." Jace said as he sat at his desk.

"So, is there a reason for me coming up here, or did you just think I could use a walk?" Simon wondered.

"You could use a trip to Specsavers, Harry." Jace chuckled.

"That was awful."

"Just like your vision then, Harry. How's Ron doing these days? He was always my favourite."

"Come ON…"

"Fine, fine. You won't hear this next bit very often, so savour it: I need your help." Jace said sternly.

"Woah." Simon said, taking a seat on the opposite side of Jace's desk. "What with? A case?"

Jace laughed. "Please! No. Turn right out of this room, three doors on the left. Where would you be?"

"Alec's office."

"Before today, you'd have been right. Now he's relocated to the floor below. Maryse insists it's temporary but I know he has no plans of coming back up here." Jace said.

"He wants to get away from you." Simon said.

"Me, Robert and Maryse. I have a feeling we're not on his Christmas card list anymore."

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. I only did come here to be a paralegal." Simon said.

"Man up, Harry; no one likes someone who unnecessarily burdens themselves with guilt. Robert and Maryse's relationship with their son is none of my business, but mine is. This firm will crash and burn if a big player like Alec isn't on board with the rest of us. I want to patch things over with him, see if we can get back to being good friends like we used to be." Jace explained.

"Careful, this makes me think you may actually have a heart." Simon grinned.

"I do when I need to." Jace shrugged.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Simon asked.

"You've been here, what? Two weeks? You and Clary act like you've been best friends for years." Jace commented.

"We get along really well, so?"

"So, somehow you actually seem to be able to get on with people. I was hoping that you might come through for me and offer some ideas as to how I can fix this with Alec. I know Isabelle isn't happy about her position either, but she doesn't hold it against me like Alec does. Any suggestions?"

Simon took a moment to think. "This kinda thing depends on the person more than anything. When you were totes BFFs was there anything you did together that you can look back on fondly?"

"First, say 'totes BFFs' again and you're fired. Second…we used to go to dinner once a month. Just us two, a few beers and a good laugh."

"Okay…then invite him out to one of those dinners, give him a way of reflecting on the good times you've had." Simon said.

"There's no way he'd say yes to spending an evening with me, Simon, he can't even share an office on the same floor as me."

"Okay, then invite Isabelle along too. She can keep things calm and relaxed since she seems to be the only one Alec can actually stand and listen to. She could convince Gollum to give up the One Ring if she put her mind to it." Simon chuckled. Jace stared at him blankly. "Lord of the Rings? No?"

"…I didn't like the ending. They're heading to that Mount Doom place and then it ends? What happened next?" Jace asked.

Simon looked appalled. "There are TWO MORE MOVIES after that!"

"Really? Eh, those kind of things are all the same anyway aren't they?"

"You?...did you just?...hmm…okay…okay, you're not very well informed, I'll let it go." Simon sighed.

"It's rare that I'm a sequels kinda guy. Except Shrek 2, that's even better than the first one." Jace nodded. After a moment of silence he looked at Simon. "You can go, you know? Thanks for the idea."

"Oh. I didn't…we're done?" Simon asked, standing up.

"Did you not feel the natural end? I felt the natural end. Get that contract done." Jace ordered.

"Uh…okay." Simon said and headed out. After a few moments he rushed back in. "Is there really no franchise you've seen all the films of?"

Jace smirked. "Harry Potter."

Simon sighed. "I opened the door for you for that one. I hate myself."

…

Jocelyn very cautiously stepped over decorating equipment and open paint tins before finally stepping inside Robert and Maryse's office; she didn't care how long she'd taken, there was no way her new heels were getting ruined. "You wanted to see me?"

"Jocelyn, yes. Teal or navy?" Maryse asked, holding up two strips of wallpaper cuttings. Robert stood in the corner, exasperated.

"My heart says teal, but my head says navy. Why did you start redecorating before deciding on what you were exactly going to do?" Jocelyn wondered.

"Thank you!" Robert said. A glare for Maryse silenced him.

"I like to actually _see_ it before I can truly decide. I've always respected your honesty." Maryse explained.

Jocelyn smiled; it was true, Jocelyn's admission to Robert and Maryse that she wanted to the job solely to get money to raise her child as a single mother earned their respect right away. That was why she was the first person outside of the Lightwood family to be hired for the firm years ago, before they even had a skyscraper of their own. Over the years, the adults had all become very close friends and could share anything with one another. Jocelyn started out as Robert's receptionist, but she didn't put up too much of a fight when they asked her to keep Jace in check; young eye candy was still eye candy.

"Well, I just think the navy might be taken more seriously. Plus, the sunlight on that glossy teal might just blind you both." Jocelyn added.

"…Okay, I trust you. Can you get the workers from downstairs and tell them?" Maryse asked Robert, who nodded and headed out. "Luke's redecorating his office too; I'm sure he'd appreciate some help from you too."

"I'll check in on him. Can I offer some other advice since I'm here, speaking as a friend and a mother?" Jocelyn asked tentatively.

Maryse sighed and looked at Jocelyn with sad eyes. "Alec?"

Jocelyn nodded and took Maryse's hands in hers. "Jace is trying to make amends and you and Robert should too."

"I don't know how." Maryse admitted, close to tears.

"'The harder the work, the greater the payoff', as you've always said. There will be more offices and wallpaper…you only have one son. After Max…" Jocelyn began, but the lump in her throat and tears stinging in the back of her eyes stopped her from finishing the sentence. "…You couldn't have prevented losing Max. You _can_ prevent losing Alec too."

Maryse nodded understandingly as she let a tear fall.

…

The restaurant was relatively quiet, but that's how it always was when it was just after the lunchtime rush and the food was ridiculously expensive even for New York. Jace found himself to be uncharacteristically nervous; he still thought Alec and Isabelle were playing a prank on him and were going to stand him up. He was pleasantly surprised when, after ten minutes of waiting at the table he'd reserved, Alec and Isabelle approached him and sat down.

"Thanks for coming." Jace said to them both.

"Izzy said you were paying and I like it here, so…" Alec grumbled, not looking Jace in the eye.

Silence.

"Well as exciting as this conversation is, I'm gonna order some drinks." Isabelle declared, standing up. "I'll leave you boys to chat."

Isabelle's departure was met with another long silence.

Jace took a leap of faith. "…Do you remember the time here when I threw up on the bar?"

To Jace's delight, Alec actually smirked. "You had to change the parting of your hair just so they'd let you back in."

"I thought coming here would help. To remind us of how things used to be." Jace said.

Alec finally looked Jace in the eyes. "The past isn't the problem, it's what's going on now. Mom and dad would tell us 'the world of law is terrifying, but no better way of living'. That isn't the world I'm living in right now; I'm not terrified, I'm angry. I'm angry all the time."

"I know, and I want to fix that. I'm sorry about how it all went down with me hiring Simon, but there was a time when you trusted my instincts." Jace pleaded.

"That was before you were made junior partner, and then senior partner. I know I come across as a jealous jerk but that's not all there is to it. I can't deny being jealous but it's frustrating to know that if I were at another other law firm I'd be a senior partner by now but if I left I'd be abandoning my family and working against them." Alec revealed, the stress on his face seeming to vanish as he finally said what was on his mind.

Jace looked at him carefully; with Alec you always had to choose the words carefully. "I never thought of it like that."

"That's because you're not a Lightwood. One day we'll inherit the firm and it'll be amazing, but I don't know if I'm willing to be bound by blood and not be able to progress for much longer." Alec said. "I took it all out on you and your new guy…?"

"Simon."

"Simon, yeah. If he impressed you he must be good, but I was kind of a jerk to him." Alec said.

"That's what you do best." Jace smirked.

"Shut up." Alec chuckled lightly, playfully kicking Jace's leg. "I guess…I'm sorry. I wish I could see it the way Isabelle does and play the long game, but seeing you achieve everything I want to is a constant reminder that I could anywhere else."

"I get it. And I'm sorry for snapping at you too. I know I probably don't deserve half of the things I've gotten." Jace said.

"No, you've earned it. I was just being petty." Alec shrugged.

"…I miss you, that's all." Jace admitted.

Alec smiled. "I miss you too. I can't promise I can be okay with everything, but I can promise to try."

"I'll try and get Maryse and Robert to see sense. I promise." Jace grinned.

Isabelle returned with a tray of drinks, and noted the happy expressions on both the men's faces. "I like the look of this."

"Tentative first steps, Izzy. Tentative first steps." Jace smiled.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." A new, silky voice remarked as two suited men approached the table.

The man who had spoken wore an extravagantly expensive burgundy suit with some understated patterning around the lapels. He was Asian, tall and there was something mysteriously inviting about his eyes. His was the face you'd have a tough job getting tired of looking at. He looked young and yet experienced, just like the second man, who was dressed in a much simpler black suit. Something about the colour of his skin looked off, almost a sickly appearance, and the wind from outside seemed to have blown his hair around significantly, with two patches sticking up at either side like horns.

"Who are you?" Isabelle asked.

"Magnus Bane, senior partner at Morgenstern Starkweather." The extravagant man declared, the words filling Jace, Alec and Isabelle with disdain. "This is Ragnor Fell, junior partner. We know Mr Wayland here, but who might you two be?"

"Isabelle Lightwood. This is my brother Alec."

"The Lightwood children! Excellent to finally put a face to the name, especially when your face looks like _that_." Magnus purred towards Alec with a flirtatious wink. Alec grew instantly uncomfortable.

"You know who I am?" Jace asked, confused.

"No need to be coy, Mr Wayland. We've got the contract for you here; you just need to sign it." Ragnor stated, opening up his briefcase and pulling out a document.

"Contract? What contract?" Isabelle questioned.

"For his new role as senior partner at Morgenstern Starkweather, of course. You haven't told them you're leaving yet?" Ragnor asked.

"Excuse me? I don't know what you're talking about!" Jace said.

"…Oh, I'm sorry! We've made this terribly awkward doing this in front of your soon to be ex-colleagues, haven't we? I'm sure it's not personal; he'll just be getting twice as much as senior partner for our firm. It's all business, no pleasure. Unfortunately." Magnus explained.

"What?" Alec asked, standing up and looking at Jace. "…Did you set this up? Just to humiliate us?"

"Alec, I didn't, I _swear_ I've never met these two before. Izzy, you've gotta believe me."

"How did they know you'd be here?" Isabelle asked.

"I…I…they must've followed me. I don't know!" Jace exclaimed.

"You have an answer for everything, you always do. And you don't have one now?" Isabelle asked. The fury that had left Alec's face had returned stronger than ever.

Jace was silent for a long time. "…I don't have an explanation right now, but -"

Isabelle turned and stormed out. Jace called out to her to no avail.

"This is low, even for you." Alec seethed.

"Alec, this is a set-up. I swear." Jace said.

"I know it's a set-up, thanks." Alec said furiously.

"No, I'm being set up!" Jace stated.

Alec snatched the document out of Ragnor's hand and examined it. "The contract is legit. Can you explain why there's an email in here between you and Valentine negotiating this deal?"

Jace's eyes widened. "What?"

"That is your private email, right? The one only you have the access passwords to?" Alec was shaking with fury as he threw the document into Jace's lap.

Jace looked it over; it _was_ his private email and all the usual signs of forgery weren't there. "I…I don't understand…?"

"I think I understand perfectly. You got the top jobs, but you know you won't make name partner at the firm so you take the next best deal that comes your way." Alec stated.

"No, that's not true!"

"THEN EXPLAIN, JACE! EXPLAIN THIS TO ME!" Alec shouted, silencing the whole restaurant.

Magnus and Ragnor shared a short glance as Jace looked at Alec in desperation. "…I'm sorry. I can't."

"Get out of my sight." Alec said, pushing Jace into the table as he stormed towards the bar. Jace turned to Magnus and Ragnor, his face red with anger.

"Problem?" Ragnor wondered.

"You sons of bitches set me up. I don't know how, but you did and I'm gonna prove it. I didn't think even Valentine and Hodge would sink this low. You'll regret this. Mark my freakin' words." Jace warned, stood right in Magnus and Ragnor's faces before rushing out of the restaurant.

"…That went spectacularly." Ragnor smiled.

"I don't agree with ripping friends apart, but it did do the job. I'll meet you in the car; you don't drink alcohol and it'd be a crying shame to let these go to waste." Magnus said, gesturing towards the three drinks on the table. Ragnor rolled his eyes and headed out; Magnus finally noticed the tufts of hair sticking up on his colleagues head and chuckled.

He examined the three drinks carefully. He could tell from where Isabelle had placed them on the table whose was whose; he quickly drank Isabelle and Jace's before noting Alec still stood at the bar, his head down. Taking Alec's drink in his hand, Magnus cautiously made his way over to Alec and placed the drink in front of him. Alec turned to look at Magnus.

"Get out before I drag you out by your satin suit."

"You noticed it was satin? Good eyes, and not just because they're blue." Magnus smiled flirtatiously.

"Forgive me for not being in the mood for conversation, especially with the likes of _you_." Alec hissed.

"…I was just doing my job."

"I don't give a crap what you were just going. Go hang out with your newest colleague and I hope I never have to see any of you again." Alec said, taking a big swig of the drink.

"I'm trying to be nice. I don't like many unnecessary enemies. How about we just forget about work life, relax and try to be friends?" Magnus suggested.

"I don't have friends, I don't need friends and I don't tend to like anyone or anything."

"Ooh, _challenge accepted_." Magnus purred.

"Just leave me alone. And go tell your bosses to go fuck themselves." Alec groaned.

"That's a bit rude, don't you think?"

"You can go fuck yourself, too."

"I'd much rather you helped me out with that." Magnus said suggestively, pulling a business card out of his pocket and sliding it along the bar and in front of Alec. "My card. Tonight I'll dream of what's under those clothes and hopefully soon my dreams can become reality."

Alec winced. "I…I'm…I'm not gay."

Magnus stood upright, looking Alec up and down. "…I see. I must have…misread the signals."

"Yeah. Y-You must have." Alec said sternly, his focus back on the floor again.

"Well, I better go and check on Ragnor. I did let the window down a little bit for the poor dear, but I should dash. I hope to see you again, Alexander."

"No one calls me Alexander."

"I do." Magnus smiled, looking Alec up and down again before heading for the door.

Alec tried using all of his strength to not take another look at Magnus as he walked out. He failed.

…

When Jocelyn walked into Luke's office, even she was surprised by the mess. Wallpaper scraps, paint pots, stepladders, and all sorts of furniture were littered all over the floor. "…Wow."

Luke, who was flicking through a catalogue while leaning on his desk, looked up at the sound of Jocelyn's voice and his face lit up. "Hey. I've finished redecorating, you like it?"

Jocelyn laughed. "Absolutely. Very modern."

"That's what I was going for." Luke chuckled as Jocelyn stood next to him and peered into the catalogue.

"What are you looking at?" She asked.

"I was thinking of getting some hooks put in the walls. I got a great family photo taken at Amatis' birthday party last month that I'd really like to hang up."

"What are you going for with the rest of the room?" Jocelyn wondered.

"Black and grey."

"Okay, definitely go for a chrome hook then. Gold would stand out best."

"That sorts that then, thank you." Luke smiled, shutting the catalogue and throwing it aside. "I'm looking forward to the decorators coming in. I love the smell of fresh paint."

"Me too, obviously." Jocelyn nodded.

"Do you still paint?" Luke asked.

"Not as much as I'd like. Too busy sorting out the messes you and the Lightwoods make." Jocelyn teased.

"Hey, Robert and Maryse cause much more trouble than I do." Luke smirked.

"That's true. I'm trying to get them to patch things up with Alec." Jocelyn revealed.

"Yeah, the whole floor heard that little screaming match the other day. I warned them promoting Jace would cause trouble." Luke said.

"He's a good guy. Deep, deep down." Jocelyn grinned and Luke laughed.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Very wise of you."

"…Man, don't you miss the days before you lot all had kids?" Luke chuckled.

"Sometimes, but being a mom is my greatest achievement. And there's still time for you to join the parent club." Jocelyn smiled.

"Yeah, we'll see." Luke nodded.

Suddenly, Isabelle practically flew past Luke's door and onward down the corridor.

"Isabelle?" Jocelyn shouted, concerned. She turned back to Luke. "I'll check on her. See you later."

"See ya." Luke smiled as Jocelyn rushed after Isabelle. He watched her go until he couldn't see her anymore.

…

"Done AND saved to a USB just in case!" Simon grinned, raising the USB stick high as if it were a trophy.

"Congratulations, you used common sense." Clary laughed.

"Jace'll be so proud."

"Speak of the Devil…" Clary said as Jace stormed over to Simon's desk.

"Contract done?" Jace asked.

"Yep, just finished printing." Simon said, handing it to Jace.

Jace practically snatched it from Simon's hands. "Don't be such a moron next time and actually take care over the work I get you to do."

"He's been working really hard on that all day. He got it done faster than most people here would even with having to start over." Clary said.

"Did I ask for your opinion? Be a good little paralegal and get back to work." Jace hissed and headed towards the elevator.

Clary turned to Simon with disgust on her face. "What's wrong with him?"

"I think I know," Simon said, "and I don't like it one bit."


	4. Learned To Swim Or Drowned

"Lightwood Garroway, you've reached Jace Wayland's office. No Stan, I've told you not to call this number when there's a package, you let the lady at the desk in the main reception know. Remember? Yes, letters too. Okay Stan? Great. Bye, Stan. Take care!" Jocelyn hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. "Just retire already."

Jocelyn looked up to see Simon nervously approaching her and stopping at her desk. It took him a moment to speak up. "Okay, what have I done this time?"

"Don't be nervous; you tap your fingers on your thighs like you're playing piano when you're nervous." Jocelyn noted.

"I have been learning to play piano…I'm great at guitar too! I'm realising this isn't relevant and you don't really care. You pick up on things really quickly, huh?" Simon asked.

"Yep. I'm Jocelyn and I'm awesome. I know people. Take Jace for example; when he runs his hand through his hair and likes to think it makes him look confident he's really doing it because he's nervous. I only know because he so rarely does it. Just go straight in; he didn't seem angry at all."

"Okay. Thanks." Simon breathed deeply before walking into the office and took a seat opposite Jace at his desk. "I'm sorry I was slow getting that contract done last week."

"Shut up." Jace said, leaning forward. "You got that done quicker than I've ever seen someone do it. I'd had a really bad day and I took it out on you and…Clary. I'm…I'm sorry."

"Is that another sentence you're not used to saying?" Simon asked.

"It is, so enjoy it."

"So, what did happen last week?"

"Valentine and Hodge have set me up; no idea how they've managed it. At dinner two people who work for them came with a contract I'd apparently negotiated to leave the firm to come and work for them. They'd forged my signature and my email account; it all looks legit. I've talked to Luke, Maryse and Robert and they all know what Valentine and Hodge are like; they believe me but Alec and Isabelle haven't spoken to me since." Jace explained.

"…That does seem like a sticky situation." Simon nodded.

"That's putting it lightly. I'm devoting most of my attention to getting to the bottom of this, which is another reason I called you in here. I'm giving you your first case." Jace said.

Simon thought his heart had stopped beating for a moment. "…What? Really?"

"Yep. Time to get excited." Jace said, picking up a file to the side of him and passing it to Simon. "One of our clients came to see me yesterday. His son Jonah was involved in a car accident the previous day; Jonah was driving home at night when someone appeared out of nowhere, he hit them but in his panic kept on driving and doesn't know what happened to whoever got hit. Swears blind he wasn't drinking or on drugs. Jocelyn's put a slot in your timetable to go and meet him. All good?"

"Uh, well…I, um…I…"

"Spit it out, Harry Potter."

"Well, I…I don't know if I'm ready for this yet." Simon admitted.

"Course you are! I believe you can do it, shouldn't be that much of a challenge." Jace stated.

"But-"

"-Simon Lewis, grow a pair." Jace said as he stood up from his desk. "A man who can't swim finds himself thrown into deep water, what happens? He learned to swim or drowned. Don't drown. Being thrown in at the deep end is never a bad thing. This is what you've dreamed of doing for years, so relish in it and get this fixed. Right, I've got some flowers to pick up downstairs."

"Huh, didn't think of you as a flower kind of guy." Simon smirked.

"They're not _for_ me, Potter. Off you go; change the world one person at a time. First impressions and all that." Jace smiled, patting Simon on the book as he headed out towards the elevator. Simon looked down at the file in his hands for a moment before heading out himself.

"Simon?" Jocelyn called out as Simon walked past her. "You'll do great."

Simon smiled and nodded before walking off.

…

Alec got fed up of the constant attempts from Robert and Maryse to call him, so he eventually just turned his phone off. He hadn't been to work for two days and had tried to do all the work he could from home in his apartment. He didn't _want_ to believe Jace would betray the firm – betray _him_ – so easily, but the evidence was there as clear as day. Even so, Robert and Maryse didn't listen to reason and believed Jace's story despite the evidence stacking up against him as they always did; their golden boy with the golden hair. At least Isabelle still had her doubts; Alec could always count on his sister to be on side.

Maybe he could just go in for a few hours and keep himself to himself? He could just refuse to talk to them.

Even so, the mere thought of having to be in close proximity, in the same building as any of them was exhausting. Nevertheless, he grabbed a suit from the wardrobe, shoved it in the back of his car and set off, not knowing exactly where it was he was driving too; the closer he got to the firm the less he wanted to be there.

Eventually he found a place to stop as he pulled into a carpark just outside the city centre. He stepped out and looked at the building in front of him; a bar called Pandemonium of all things. Still, he could use a drink.

It was all very flashy inside; neon lights all over the place, loud thumping music and a surprising amount of people considering it was still fairly early in the day. Alec felt put off by the atmosphere and almost turned to leave, and yet something was compelling him to stay. It was a weird sense of familiarity, a sense of home. It was just somewhere to hide and get away, so it definitely had that going for it.

Alec took a seat on a stool at the bar and ordered a whiskey; it had been a while since he'd drunk any and despite never actually liking the taste he found himself coming back to it now and again. Just as he was starting to feel relaxed and forget about his parents and Jace and work, a familiar purring voice sent a shiver down his spine as someone took a seat next to him.

"Alexander! What a pleasant surprise. It feels like fate." Magnus Bane smiled.

…

Clary was fixated on her computer screen as she reread the patent for what felt like the sixtieth time at least. Everything certainly seemed to be in order but she had to be absolutely sure that there we no mistakes or-

Her view was blocked by a bouquet of flowers being placed in front of her. Roses and lilies in reds, pinks and whites were all lovingly placed together in a baby yellow box, starting to dampen from the water inside. She looked up and saw Jace stood there staring.

"…They're for you." Jace said, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, um…"

"…To apologise for last week. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I'd just been having a really bad day." Jace said sincerely.

"I see. That's very sweet, thank you. And apology accepted." Clary smiled, moving the bouquet to the end of the desk, still on show but away from her computer screen. "I love roses and lilies."

"Yeah, Jocelyn said. I've no idea how she knew but the woman knows everything." Jace explained.

"We, uh…we go way back." Clary smiled. "They're beautiful. Lots of red roses, very romantic."

Jace's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I didn't want to imply anything or that I…sorry, I…"

"I'm just messing with you." Clary laughed. "I love them. And I wish I could have taken a picture of your face just then."

"I'm glad you didn't; I have a reputation to uphold." Jace smirked.

"If that were the case, why didn't you get someone to bring these to me instead of letting people see you do it yourself?" Clary wondered.

"…That way I wouldn't have gotten to see you." Jace said timidly as Clary blushed. "Well, I have more bridges to stop burning so…see you around."

He quickly hurried off and away; Clary watched him go with a smile, her cheeks still bright red. That was a Jace Wayland she'd never seen before, one she never even knew existed, and one she rather liked.

"Be careful of that one." A voice to Clary's right stated; she turned to see Isabelle stood there, arms folded and a cold expression on her face.

…

"What a lovely thing coincidence can be." Magnus grinned as he prompted the bartender to get him another drink; Alec assumed that Magnus must come here quite often and has a 'usual'.

"If only this were one of those times." Alec said, sipping his whiskey.

"Come on, you're not in the slightest bit pleased to see me again? I was saddened that you didn't call." Magnus commented.

"I'm sure your heart will mend." Alec said, refusing to give Magnus the satisfaction of eye contact. "I can remember making my position pretty clear."

"I'd like to make your position clear myself." Magnus smirked flirtatiously. "What brings you to Pandemonium at this time of day?"

"Needed to get away. You?" Alec asked, not entirely sure why he was even interested.

"It's happy hour somewhere! I've always loved the vibe of this place; beautiful men and women always come and go. I wish I could recount some of the nights I've spent in this place, but the nights you don't remember are always the best ones." Magnus explained.

"I don't tend to get out much." Alec said.

"I am utterly shocked by the surprising revelation."

"Is this going anywhere, Magnus?" Alec asked.

"I'm touched you remember my name. I was just wondering if you'd like to come and sit with me at my table over there. I bought that spot a few months ago. Just us." Magnus suggested.

"No thanks. I told you I'm not interested."

"Many men have told me that before now. They'd changed their minds the next morning."

"Just leave me alone, okay?" Alec grumbled.

"…I'm sorry if I've upset you." Magnus said.

"That's all anyone ever seems to do nowadays." Alec sighed.

Magnus looked intensely at Alec for a moment. "…I've been suspended for a week."

Alec looked at Magnus. "…You have?"

"I had a disagreement with the boys on top. Which is odd because that's usually me." Magnus purred.

"Do you have to layer everything you say with innuendo?"

"Sometimes that's all that gets me through the day." Magnus smirked. "I take it you're upset over Jace."

"Not just Jace, but yeah." Alec confirmed.

"Then let's forget about what upsets us for a few hours. Come have a drink as two people who want to get away for a while." Magnus suggested.

Alec looked at Magnus, then at his near empty glass, over to the empty table Magnus had reserved and the back to Magnus himself. "If you buy the next round."

"Consider it done. Cocktails it is." Magnus declared happily.

"I…I don't really drink cocktails." Alec said.

"You do now. Whiskey is absolute cat piss." Magnus said, signalling for the barman again before turning to Alec. "Believe me, I know; I have a cat and I once spent a whole evening drinking whiskey. Far too easy to mix the two up when there are lots of spillages on the floor."

Alec actually found himself laughing at that before heading over to Magnus' table, looking back and taking another look at his extravagant companion as he went.

…

Simon walked into the staffroom located at the end of the corridor of Floor 35 where a large table and chairs was set up with kitchen utensils arranged in cabinets on one side. He and Clary had been eating lunch together there every day for the last few weeks. "Sorry I'm late, had some stuff to chase up about this case Jace has got me working on and oh wow Isabelle hi."

Clary and Isabelle were sat together at the table giggling away. They book looked up at Simon and grinned.

"Hello, Simon. Congrats on getting your own case." Isabelle said softly.

"Uh…thank you. I didn't, um…you two…I didn't know you two…" Simon mumbled.

"I was asking a fellow associate a favour when I saw Clary here talking to Jace. I took it upon myself to warn her of his treacherous ways and then we ended up talking about all sorts. I like your taste in friends, Simon." Isabelle explained happily.

"Come on, sit down!" Clary smiled. "How's the case going with that Jonah kid you told me about?"

"Not too bad." Simon replied as he took a seat next to Clary (he knew her better than Isabelle, and Isabelle's beauty intimidated him). "I met with Jonah and he said the guy he hit didn't come into his vision until it was too late, and when I inspected the car the minimal damage and angles of it, it corroborates with Jonah's story, which was good."

"Did you track down the guy he hit?" Isabelle inquired.

Simon was secretly very pleased Isabelle was taking an interest. "Yep; I checked the hospital records and a boy named Connor Wilton was rushed to hospital not long after the incident took place with injuries that matched what Jonah told us. The problem was that Connor was taken to hospital because a 911 call told the ambulance where to go."

"That's a bad thing?" Clary asked.

"It is when I recognised the number the lady on the phone read out to me; Jonah was the one who called 911." Simon revealed.

"And he didn't tell you that?" Isabelle asked.

"He did not, no, which is super helpful. Luckily, Connor is currently stable despite some injuries. I recommended Jonah turn himself into the police even though it was an accident since it would put us in a better position." Simon said.

"Smart call. Did he agree?" Isabelle wondered.

"Yep, I took him down there myself. He's there now. I have to go and see an Assistant DA to present the case to her." Simon explained.

"Which one?" Isabelle asked.

"Uh…Ida? Immette?"

"Imogen? Imogen Herondale?" Isabelle corrected nervously.

"That's it…I don't like your tone." Simon winced.

"Imogen Herondale is a bitch, plain and simple. You'll need all the luck you can get with her." Isabelle warned.

Simon sighed. "Great."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Clary reassured.

"Well, I best get back to work; no rest for the fabulous. I'll see you on Saturday, Clary. Bye, Simon." Isabelle declared as she headed out. Simon rushed out after her.

"Isabelle?"

"…Yeah?"

"I just, uh…you know Jace was set up, right? He never planned on leaving the firm." Simon said.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "I've known him for years, Simon, and I can still believe he'd do something like that. He only cares for himself, like I was telling Clary. I've seen girl after girl come and go and not one of them sticks in his mind. As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care."

"I just…I think there's a side to him he keeps well hidden from you and Alec."

"Simon, I don't want to be angry with you and it's sweet that you're trying to fix things, but Jace will show you who he really is soon enough. Fake a signature, maybe, but to fake his private emails that Alec told me about? No chance." Isabelle said, straightening Simon's tie with a smile before walking off.

"You know why he gave me this case? So he could dedicate his time into mending fences with you and Alec." Simon stated. Isabelle stopped for a moment, but said nothing and carried on walking. Defeated, Simon returned to the staffroom with Clary. "So you and her are BFFs suddenly?"

"We just clicked, that's all. We're going out on the town on Saturday. My god, you're sweaty." Clary smirked.

"What? I am?" Simon asked nervously, placing a hand on his brow.

"Wow, you just melt around Isabelle Lightwood, don't you?" Clary chuckled.

"It's not funny, it's embarrassing." Simon sighed as he sat back down.

"I think it's sweet that you have a little crush." Clary teased.

"Is that so? And why was it that Isabelle felt the need to warn you away from Jace?" Simon wondered with a smirk.

Clary's face dropped and her cheeks went red. "Don't you have an Assistant DA to go talk to?"

…

Imogen's office was quite bland, Simon observed as he walked in, shook her hand and took a seat. The desk was a nice glossy mahogany, but the walls and carpet were beige and aside from the shelves of books and computer of the desk, the only other decoration was a single painting of a landscape hung up directly opposite where Imogen sat.

Imogen herself was an older woman, with lines of age and wisdom on her face. She was thin yet intimidating and ice cold. Simon assumed that monsters checked under their beds at night in case Imogen Herondale was there.

"It would help if I could look through that." Imogen said, her voice sharp as she pointed at the folder Simon held.

"Oh, of course. Sorry." Simon chuckled nervously as he handed it to her and watched for a few minutes of pure silence as she looked over it.

Imogen laid the folder down on her desk and looked right into Simon's eyes with such intensity he was scared his glasses would start to melt. "And what sentence are you proposing?"

Simon fiddled through his laptop case before pulling out another sheet of paper and handing it to Imogen. "My client is willing to accept maximum community service and a fine, but nothing more."

Imogen looked over the document. "Is that so?"

"Well…yeah. It's only a minor offence and my client turned himself into the police of his own accord." Simon stated.

"I'm afraid this won't do. Unless you're willing to pay for funeral costs?" Imogen wondered.

Simon looked confused. "Funeral costs?"

"We just received word that Connor Wilton died from his injuries earlier this afternoon." Imogen revealed.

"…What? But…but he was stable?!"

"And now he's _very_ stable. With Mr Wilton's passing your client has committed a much more serious felony, one that normally warrants twelve to fifteen years in jail. He'd still have a long life after his sentence, at least." Imogen said, sounding far too pleased with how things had turned out. "I think you'd better go speak to your client, don't you think?"

…

Alec and Magnus chuckled as they stumbled out of Pandemonium and back into the car park.

"…And it turns out I'd slept with the wrong twin!" Magnus finished as Alec tried to control his laughter.

"That might just be the single greatest story I've ever heard." Alec stated.

"What an honour that is. Why don't you come back to my place? For tea, not…anything else. I import the most spectacular blend." Magnus suggested.

Alec grew serious. "Oh, I…I shouldn't. I think I might just head home."

"Very well. At least let me drop you off; you're in no fit state to drive." Magnus said.

"And you are?"

"I'm not driving, I have a chauffeur!" Magnus declared, pointing towards the glossy black limo in the corner of the carpark that Alec couldn't believe he hadn't noticed earlier. "I _love_ Parker."

"Parker? Isn't that the chauffeur in Thunderbirds as well?" Alec wondered amusedly.

"Oh, Parker isn't his real name but it's the one I insist on using." Magnus said.

Alec laughed. "And he's been sat there since you went in? It's been hours!"

"He doesn't mind, one can only imagine how many Pokémon he's managed to catch. You can come back and get your car when you're sober. Let's go!"

"Okay, fine…" Alec smiled and let Magnus lead the way over to the limo. Just as they went to get in, Alec put a hand on Magnus' arm (and tried not to look quite so surprised at how muscular it felt). "Thanks for this. I actually had a great time."

"Me too, Alexander. Me too." Magnus smiled.

…

Jace sat at his desk waiting for Simon's arrival. When Simon had called him to update him on the case, he gave up on driving around the city and looking for Alec in all the places he thought he might be and headed back to the building, especially when Simon added he thought he'd found something good.

Eventually, Simon rushed in and put some papers on his desk.

"Okay, and what's this?"

"When Connor Wilton was brought to hospital he was dressed in all black. Local CCTV picked up someone matching his description spraying graffiti onto a wall, ditching the cans and running off in the direction of the road he was hit by Jonah on." Simon explained as he pointed at the papers Jace held containing CCTV screenshots.

"Oh, this is good, it puts the fault on Wilton rushing to get away from his own crime." Jace said.

"It still doesn't feel right, having to pin the blame on him like this." Simon noted.

"Of course it's not; the poor kid died, but we have to put our own client first. The law is hard but it is the law. Let's go stick it to Imogen." Jace said, standing up.

"Actually, uh…do you mind if I went alone?" Simon asked.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'd really like to be the one to, you know, stick it to her." Simon said.

"I'd have thought she was a bit old for you, but each to their own." Jace smirked.

"Come on, man."

…

The following day, Simon walked out of Connor Wilton's family home feeling good about himself. The previous day he'd returned to Imogen with the new evidence he had found, and she had agreed to the original deal he'd proposed. Simon was shocked when Jonah hugged him after revealing the outcome.

The next day he'd been told to visit the Wilton family to discuss expenses; they had accepted that Jonah hadn't been to blame for Connor's death and just wanted enough money to pay off his debts and funeral costs, which they estimated to be around twenty thousand dollars.

Jace had told Simon not to offer them a maximum of a hundred thousand dollars, and that's what he gave them.

Returning to Jace's office, Simon was shocked to find Jace sat there with two glasses of whiskey, handing one to him as he approached the desk. "First case done and dusted. How do you feel?"

"Pretty great, actually." Simon smiled.

"Nothing beats the way you're feeling right now, I promise you that much. Cheers." Jace said, tapping his glass of whiskey against Simon's. The two downed the liquid in one go.

"Oh, that's hideous." Simon coughed.

"Yeah, it's really not good. We'll get to the more expensive stuff when you close your tenth one, how about that?" Jace suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Simon agreed.

"I'm…I almost feel like I'm proud of you, Potter." Jace admitted.

"Thanks. I think." Simon smiled. "Any progress with Alec and Isabelle?"

"I drove around most of the day trying to find Alec and nothing, and Isabelle make an excuse to leave any room I walked into. The grind continues. I did apologise to Clary earlier though."

Simon smiled to himself. "Ah."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Well, go home and get some well-earned rest. Now the hard work really starts." Jace said.

"Marvellous." Simon sighed.

"When I closed my first case, Robert told me something I'll never forget. Remember what I was saying about learning to swim or drowning?" Jace asked.

"Yeah?"

"In this business, each case is a new start. You can never learn to swim, just learn to float."

"Wise words." Simon nodded.

"Rob has his moments, I guess. I guess I'm wondering if you're ready for what's coming next?" Jace wondered.

"You know, three days ago I'd have said no."

"What happened?" Jace asked.

Simon looked at him and smiled. "You threw me in at the deep end."


	5. A Better Use Of Mind

Simon was woken by his bedroom door crashing open and Jordan throwing an object onto his bed. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Jordan stood at the doorway, arms crossed and an angry, tired look on his face.

"What the hell?" Simon wondered as he reached to put on his glasses from the bedside cabinet.

"Exactly! You left your phone in the living room and it's been going off for fifteen minutes now! Here you are sleeping like a baby but oh no, not me, not Mr Light Sleeper over here." Jordan explained grumpily.

"Who's calling me at 5.30am?" Simon groaned as he checked the time on his alarm clock.

"Don't know, don't care." Jordan said. Simon's phone started ringing loudly once again. "Just answer it. I'm going back to bed."

Simon watched Jordan slump off and away before seeing who was calling, sighing and answering. "Do you know how early it is?"

"Can't be that early if you're up." Jace's attitude bled through the phone and into Simon's skin.

" _You_ woke me up."

"Well since you _are_ up, you can come in to work." Jace said.

"…Now?" Simon asked.

"Ooh, you're on top form this morning. I know it's hard for you but try and look presentable; you've got a big day ahead of you. See you at Hogwarts, Potter."

Jace hung up and Simon was left almost bewildered for a moment. Eventually, he dragged himself out of bed, skipped breakfast, brushed his teeth, showered, put on some clothes and headed out. The cold air felt even more piercing on his still slightly damp hair as he rode through the streets towards the Lightwood Garroway building, but soon enough he made it and headed straight to Jace's office.

Jocelyn greeted him with a smile as he approached. "Morning, Simon."

"Morning. Are you always here this early?" Simon asked.

"Always."

"How do you manage it?"

"Brilliantly. Go in in." Jocelyn smirked. Unlike with Jace, her high opinion of her abilities didn't make Simon want to strangle her.

Simon entered Jace's office and stopped dead at the sight of him. Jace was leaning against his desk like Simon had seen him do many times before…but this time he was in a grey tracksuit. Was he still asleep?

"Do I need my glasses checking or do I look more presentable than you do for once?" Simon smirked.

"Yes, you do. I look better in a tracksuit than you do in those rags. I'm just about to head out for my morning run before work properly begins." Jace explained.

Now used to insults about his clothing choices, Simon ignored the remark entirely. "So why am I here so early?"

"Robert and Maryse gave Alec and Isabelle the job of going through some boxes of files a client provided; they've been accused of burying evidence so they need to cross reference each individual document with the client's online system to see if anything was missed." Jace began as he started doing some warm up stretches. "They need to all be sorted through by the end of the week, and Alec has taken the whole week off as 'sick days', a.k.a. sulking and not letting anyone see him. So, since I still can't get through to Alec I thought I'd try and get back in Izzy's good books. This week, Mr Lewis, you're not Jace Wayland's associate, you're Isabelle Lightwood's bitch."

"I'm…so I would be…"

"You'll be working in close proximity to Isabelle. Shall I give you the number of a good speech therapist? By Wednesday or Thursday you might be in a good enough state to finally be able to get out a sentence in front of her without stumbling." Jace chuckled.

"I appreciate your concern," Simon said sarcastically, "but I'll be fine. I was only speaking to her in the staffroom with Clary the other day."

"And did you embarrass yourself immensely?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. This is in a professional circumstance; I'll have stuff to focus on so it won't be a problem." Simon stated unconvincingly.

"I'm sure." Jace nodded, holding back more laughter. "Well time is of the essence, hence why I called you in early. The files are all down in storage on the 23rd floor. Izzy's probably already started sorting through them, so off you go. Try and sound like a human being when you talk to her."

"I can manage." Simon said and headed out and toward the elevator. As he pressed the button labelled '23' and headed down, he was about eighty percent certain he could not, in fact, manage.

…

Considering the time, it didn't surprise Simon that the storage room was practically lifeless. It was also a massive space, with metal frames holding boxes and boxes of paper files and forms and documents dating back years. Simon could hear the faint ruffling of paper, so followed the noise down to the very end of the room (which was a surprisingly long way) where the space opened up. There were still boxes everyone, on shelves and on the floor, but in the middle of the space was a table and a few chairs. Sat upon one of them, one leg over the other and eyes transfixed on the computer on the table, was Isabelle.

Simon spent a few moments staring at her, wondering how he should go about alerting her to his arrival. Should he just speak? Cough? Slam his hand down on the table? He soon realised if she looked up at him right now it would be obvious he had been staring at her so much a snap decision. "Uh, hi."

Isabelle looked up and smiled. "Ah, Simon, there you are. Thanks for helping me out."

"No problem." Simon looked around at the nearby boxes. "So which boxes do we have to sort through?"

"The blue ones." Isabelle replied.

"…They're all blue."

"Yes they are."

"Marvellous. Its times like these I wish I was The Flash; I've had a lot of awesome dreams about that." Simon smiled. Isabelle looked at him in confusion. "The Flash? The superhero? No?"

"Is that the one who can fly?"

"Lots of them can fly, Superman, Wonder Woman in most continuities, Iron Man…you know, it doesn't really matter." Simon chuckled nervously, realising how much of a dork he was sounding like. You should get to know someone really well before talking about comic books, if at all. Isabelle didn't come across as the type who was all that interested in that sort of thing.

"Anyway, just pick a box and get cracking. There's another computer over there you can use; put in the reference number on any document and it should hopefully come up on the system. If it doesn't, our client's screwed." Isabelle said.

Simon looked over to where she was pointing and saw the other computer. "Okay, great. Here goes nothing."

He picked up a box and placed it onto the table, pulling off the lid. The box was filled to the brim with documents and papers. He silently cursed before taking some of the contents out and laying it onto the table to go over.

Isabelle watched him for a moment before tapping one of the boxes next to her. "You made that look easy, I can barely carry one of these."

"Going to the gym pays off, I guess." Simon laughed lightly, trying not to come across as showing off even though he definitely was. It's not like he was lying; he worked out regularly and was in great shape – three of the five women he'd ever slept with did so solely for his six-pack.

"I guess so." Isabelle grinned as she returned to her work. Simon watched as she bent down to reach for more documents in one of the boxes. He moved the box he was looking through off the table and onto his lap, red-faced. This was going to be a long week.

…

Jace tentatively approached Clary's cubicle, resting his chin on one of the sides looking down at her with a smile. "Did you manage it?"

Clary rolled her eyes and handed Jace a piece of paper. "I could manage it with my eyes closed."

"How did you get this filled out so fast?" Jace wondered as he looked over the form in his hands.

"I can be very persuasive, especially over the phone. I learned from the best." Clary smiled to herself, a memory written over her expression.

"You're a star, thanks." Jace smiled then decided to take a risk by asking Clary something he'd been wondering for a while. "Can I just ask, why are you still a paralegal? You've been here for a year and…not that being a paralegal is bad, it's just…I think you could do even greater things here, a better use of your mind."

Clary sighed and took a moment to respond. "I've wanted to be a lawyer for most of my life, but you put any kind of exam paper in front of me and I freeze. Three times I've tried to pass the LSATs, and three times I've failed. Something about me just turns off out of fear. It's so frustrating. I _know_ the stuff but I just…I can't explain what comes over me."

"I'm sure there are people who can help get you through any worries." Jace said sympathetically.

"I've gone to specialists before, but I just can't get the score I need to pass and get into law school. So, for now at least, I resign myself to paralegal work. It means I don't make the money I'd love to, but it's the best I can do." Clary admitted sadly. "Maybe one day. Sorry, I should get back to work."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks for this." Jace said, holding up the piece of paper.

"My pleasure." Clary smiled sadly before returning to her work. Jace watched her sadly for a moment before returning to the elevator, deep in thought.

He quickly made his way to Jocelyn's desk with purpose the second the elevator doors opened on Floor 38. "Jocelyn, can you get an employee file sent up here? I want to know a bit about her achievements."

"Sure, what's the name?" Jocelyn asked as she turned to her computer.

"Don't know her surname, but it's the Clary girl on Floor 35. The paralegal." Jace said.

Jocelyn stopped and looked at Jace. "Why the interest in her?"

"Like I said, I want to see her credentials. She's too good to be a paralegal; maybe something in there will help me to get her moved up the ladder even a little bit." Jace explained.

"…Well, I can't very well search for her file without a surname can I?"

"Jocelyn, don't try to be funny. You know everything. You've brought her up loads of times, you know her surname." Jace said suspiciously.

"I don't." Jocelyn argued.

"Wow, what is it about Clary that makes you a terrible liar?" Jace asked.

Jocelyn looked at Jace for a moment and then sighed. "…Okay, I suppose it was always gonna happen at some point. Confession time…her surname is Fray."

"Fray? That's your surname." Jace said, confused.

"Indeed it is." Jocelyn nodded. "…Clary's my daughter."

…

"…LLB259AS4V." Simon finished proudly as Isabelle sat at the computer, impressed beyond belief.

"That's incredible. You could recall every single reference code you've read today?" Isabelle asked.

"Yep." Simon nodded.

"That's…that's amazing. Your mind is _amazing_." Isabelle smiled.

"…Thanks. I suppose jobs like these are actually a better use for my mind than the stuff Jace normally has me do. It's certainly more efficient." Simon said.

"Yeah, we're soaring through these. Me and Alec wouldn't have even done half of how much we've got done today." Isabelle said.

"…I know he's your brother and everything, but these 'sick days'…?" Simon began nervously.

Isabelle sighed and nodded. "Unless bullshit is an illness, he's not sick. He's stroppy. Always has been, always will be. Though I can hardly blame him this time; mom and dad didn't even so much as investigate Jace."

"That's because Jace wasn't trying to leave the firm; Valentine and Hodge really did set him up." Simon argued.

"Simon, I don't want to argue about this again. If he can ever prove it, I'll apologise. For now though, the fact that he's still here and him lending your services to me for the week is a good foundation for getting back to some kind of normal, I guess." Isabelle stated.

"You kinda grew up with Jace, huh?" Simon asked.

"…Yeah, I suppose. I've known him for a long time. Alec was best friends with him once upon a time, that's why he's so hurt by everything that's happened. They were blood brothers. Alec kept his distance from so many people after…after Max." Isabelle choked.

"Who's Max?" Simon asked.

Isabelle stopped her work and leant against the table, looking at the floor. "Our little brother."

"Oh, I didn't know you and Alec had a brother." Simon said.

"…He died a few years ago."

Simon's heart stopped as he noted the tears in Isabelle's eyes. "Oh, crap. I'm so sorry, I didn't know about –"

"-No, it's okay. You didn't know because no one really talks about it. It practically tore us all apart but we pretend like it hasn't. Jace was really close with Max; losing him changed him and the rest of us. We threw ourselves into the firm and forgot that the firm was built on family in the first place." Isabelle explained.

Simon didn't ask for more details about how Max died. "…I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Don't apologise. It's good to talk about it sometimes. To talk about _him_." Isabelle smiled.

"I know what you mean. My dad died when I was fourteen." Simon admitted.

Isabelle looked sympathetic. "Oh, that's awful."

"It was pretty unexpected." Simon said. He saw something in Isabelle's eyes that told him she wanted to know more, so he put down the paperwork and leant against the table next to her. "Every morning I'd be the second one of us in the house up. There was me, mom, dad and my older sister Rebecca. Dad was always up at the crack of dawn. Every morning I'd come downstairs and dad would be sat watching TV in the huge brown armchair he always sat in. He'd be watching TV when all of us went to bed and he'd be watching TV when I got up. He'd hear me coming down, turn around to face the stairs and say 'good morning, Chuckles' – he said my laugh was infectious so always called me Chuckles. It was a few weeks after my fourteenth birthday, and I woke up, got dressed and headed downstairs as usual. The TV was on and I could just see his hand resting on the arms of his chair. I'd gotten to the bottom of the stairs and he hadn't turned around. I called out to him and he didn't move; …I think that was the moment I knew he was…you know. I touched his hand and it was cold. He just looked asleep. He'd had a heart attack in the middle of the night; we'd all gone to bed and if he'd cried out to us we didn't hear him. He was alone. I don't know if he was scared…I hope he wasn't scared. I hope it was quick and he didn't know for too long. They tell you time makes it better but it still hurts as much as it did the day I found him. It's not the day someone dies that's the worst part, it's all the days they stay dead."

He wiped a tear away as Isabelle looked at him with teary eyes herself. "Sorry, shouldn't have thrown such a miserable story on you."

"…I'm glad you told me. If we're gonna work together for a long time, and I have a feeling we will, I want to get to know exactly who you are." Isabelle said gently.

"Prepare to be disappointed." Simon smirked and Isabelle laughed. She got up from the desk and pulled him into a hug. "What's this for?"

"Because I think you needed it. I needed a hug too." Isabelle whispered into his shoulder.

"…You're not what I expected at all, you know." Simon admitted as they broke apart.

"How so?" Isabelle asked.

"Up to now I was kinda terrified of you. And intimidated." Simon winced with embarrassment.

"If you ever get on my bad side, you'll find that you were right to be." Isabelle grinned.

"Noted." Simon smiled with relief.

"Good. Back to work?"

"Back to work."

Isabelle smiled as she returned to the computer and Simon picked up a few more boxes to examine. He looked at her to find she was already looking at him; they shared a smile and returned to their own little worlds.

Simon couldn't help taking another look a few minutes later; Isabelle Lightwood was nothing like he'd thought she was. She was even better.

…

"We knew what a big deal family was here; people were getting funny about Robert and Maryse's kids climbing the ranks so we agreed it would be best to keep our connection under the radar where possible. If Clary gets the promotions she deserves one day I don't want people thinking less of her because her mom is secretary to a senior partner, do I?" Jocelyn explained as Jace continued staring at her in shock.

"At least it explains why you spoke so highly of her all the time." Jace noted.

"I speak highly of her because she's the best at what she does, and one day she'll pass the LSATs and become the best lawyer this city has seen." Jocelyn said proudly.

"Well, best _female_ lawyer, anyway." Jace smirked.

"…Is there another reason you were interested in knowing more about _my daughter_?" Jocelyn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No! God no, it's not like that…I mean, no way. It was purely out of professional curtesy." Jace clarified, running his hand through his hair. "Clary is an excellent asset to this place."

"I know. Don't tell anyone else, okay?" Jocelyn pleaded.

"Of course not." Jace said. "…She got her looks from her dad, then?"

Jocelyn introduced him to her middle finger in response.

…

"Okay, I think we should call it a day. We made amazing progress though; your super brain wins the day again." Isabelle declared as she finished checking one final document. Simon looked around and while there were still a lot of boxes left to go through, it at least _looked_ like they'd made a dent in the piles.

"Awesome, I'm starving." Simon said.

"Me too. Skipping lunch was a bad idea." Isabelle nodded.

"I feel that pain." Simon said and Isabelle smiled. "…Do you, uh, I don't know…?"

"Do I…?"

"…I know you're all about fancy restaurants and all, but…there's a really good burger place around the block if you…you know, we…we could grab a bite to eat. NOT LIKE A DATE OR ANYTHING I just…you know…to stop us from wasting away." Simon blabbed nervously.

Isabelle grinned. "That sounds nice. I'll go back upstairs and get my coat and I'll meet you out front."

"Great." Simon smiled, hoping it wasn't too obvious that his heart was thumping so hard he was scared it would shatter his ribcage.

Isabelle headed for the door, then turned back. "Simon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for your help today." Isabelle said.

"No problem."

"…You know, with most people I know it's all stress and drama, but with you things are simple. It's nice to get away from it all, so thank you for letting me do that. Simple is good." Isabelle smiled.

"Simple _is_ good. Same to you." Simon replied, flattered. Isabelle nodded and walked out, Simon watching her go and deciding the week ahead wasn't going to be quite as terrifying as he'd expected.

…

As the envelope was placed on her desk, Clary felt the same excitement she always did at the sight of it. No matter how much stress came her way working at Lightwood Garroway, the paycheque was always worth it. She carefully opened it up and froze for a moment as she read it over. She stood up and caught up with the man who handed the envelopes out to everyone.

"Victor! Sorry, I think there's been a mistake." Clary said.

"I don't make mistakes, Miss Fray." Victor replied.

"Oh no, I didn't mean…well, it's just that this is a hundred and twenty five dollars more than normal." Clary stated.

"Yes, it is. I received an invoice today updating your salary. This is your new monthly pay packet. You must have impressed the people upstairs." Victor smiled.

"I…wow. Who was the invoice from?"

"Jace Wayland. You must be impressive for him to make a gesture like that. See you around." Victor nodded and headed off again.

Clary stared at the cheque and couldn't take the smile off her face. Despite her mother's claims that Jace wasn't that bad of a guy once you got to know him, Clary had never truly believed it until now. She actually found him incredibly sweet. And he wasn't exactly bad to look at either.

"…Oh boy, I'm in trouble." Clary whispered, smiling nonetheless.


	6. Silence Means Security

Forty seven…forty eight…forty nine…fifty.

Alec finished his sit-ups and put on a suit for the first time in a week; he couldn't just hide away from everyone any longer. He'd spent day after day just sat around watching the world go by. Well, that and – remarkably – texting Magnus Bane.

They'd exchanged numbers after hanging out at Pandemonium, and all they really did was send stupid photos and jokes back and forth, but it was pleasant. It was an escape from everything and a rare chance to smile. Alec wouldn't mind if he saw him again, even if he did work for the big competition. There was just something about him, like he was brand new and ancient at exactly the same time.

On the cab journey to work, he pondered what he might say or do if he ran into his parents or even Jace. The evidence against him was clear as day; he was planning to leave the firm and betray the family he'd practically grown up with. So was the fact that he was still working there evidence that maybe he really was framed (however unlikely) or evidence of him copping out since he got caught in the act? Was Jace really that stupid to bring him and Isabelle to the very restaurant he planned on meeting Magnus and Ragnor at?

Before he could dwell on things any further, the cab pulled up outside the Lightwood Garroway building. He tipped the driver and sharply made his way up to the office without encountering any familiar faces. That was, however, until he walked into his office and found Robert sat at the desk waiting for him.

"Got nothing better to do than to sit in your son's office?" Alec asked.

"You didn't call in sick today so I assumed you'd finally gotten over your little…phase…so I thought I'd wait to welcome you back." Robert explained.

"Thanks. You can go now." Alec said; seeing his father had just brought back up all the rage he'd spent the past week trying to control.

"Your mother and I have a trail kicking off today, so we won't be around much for the next two weeks." Robert said.

"Pity."

"Alec…we're trying. At least have the decency to try too." Robert lectured.

"Oh, you're both trying? Is mom hiding under the desk to surprise me and welcome me back? Or is she in the file cabinet?" Alec asked, sarcastically looking around the room. "I guess she's as invisible as her parenting skills these days."

"Don't you _dare_ talk about your mother like that." Robert warned.

"I noticed the new layout on computer monitors on my way up here. Did they implement the new software you were on about?" Alec asked, ignoring Robert's previous warning.

Robert decided not to start another fight. "…Yes. They're starting work installing it today and will be testing it over the next few days. It's a much easier and more reliable way of storing and accessing our archives."

"But you and mom aren't here to oversee it?"

"No, we, um…we put someone else in charge of overseeing it." Robert said.

"And who would that be?" Alec asked. Robert's face told him everything he needed to. "Yeah, I don't even need to ask, do I?"

"Alec…we didn't know if you were even going to be here…"

"I'm sure Jace will do a great job, a wonderful choice. Don't you have a trial to get to? Get the hell out of my chair." Alec said venomously.

Robert said nothing, just stood up from the desk chair and headed out. Alec slammed the door shut and sat down at his desk with his head in his hands.

…

"Aw, crap!" Simon groaned, putting his phone back in the drawer as he sat at his desk. Clary watched him from the next cubicle alone with a smirk.

"Did it run away?" Clary asked.

"Of course it did! That was the highest CP wild Charmander I'd _ever_ seen! Do you realise how rare it is to find starter Pokémon in the wild?" Simon questioned.

"No, but I do realise how high pitched your voice gets when you're upset."

"No it doesn't! Simon squeaked. He put a hand on his throat and coughed. "…No, it doesn't."

"I thought everyone had stopped playing that game, anyway." Clary rolled her eyes as she turned back to her computer.

"The true fans play on." Simon nodded.

The whole room seemed to slow down the second Isabelle Lightwood walked in, her hair flowing luxuriously through the air despite the lack of a breeze. Her ruby necklace glistened in the sunlight from outside. She smiled at Simon as she walked past him and stopped at Clary's cubicle. "I need your help with something."

"What can I do you for?" Clary asked.

"I need to get more witnesses to validate a client's story, remember that factory fire a year or so ago downtown?" Isabelle asked.

"Yeah, nasty business." Clary reminisced.

"Exactly. Apparently there's a news piece online where some of what the witnesses that were interviewed were saying backs up my client's claims. I need to find out who the witnesses are and track them down so they can testify to what they saw. They're installing the new software on my computer upstairs so I thought I'd come to the best paralegal in town." Isabelle explained with a smile.

"Then you came to the right place." Clary giggled. "I'll have a look now. Love the dress, by the way!"

"Thank you! It's from that store that just opened on 34th." Isabelle said as she looked down at the emerald dress she wore with silver patterning down one side.

"…I like it too." Simon said quickly. Clary and Isabelle stared at him, Clary holding back laughter, before Simon returned to looking at his computer without saying a word and holding up a folder to shield his face from their vision.

"For a smart guy he's incredibly dumb." Clary whispered and Isabelle chuckled as Clary continued scrolling through sites on her computer. "Here's something. Woah, take a look at that guy."

Isabelle leaned over and looked at Clary's screen. "Dear lord. Divorced. Loves McDonalds. Has two cats."

" _At least_ two cats." Clary added.

"He'll testify in a heartbeat if two beautiful women pay him a visit." Isabelle smiled.

"Two?"

"Yeah, fancy a road trip?" Isabelle suggested.

"Really? You want me to help on your case?" Clary asked.

"You know it. Grab your coat and I'll see you downstairs." Isabelle said. Clary nodded and excitedly started gathering up her things as Simon gave her an encouraging thumbs up. Isabelle walked past Simon's desk as she headed out.

"Bye Simon," she leaned in close to him, "miss you already."

She held back laughter as she walked away while Simon stared at her with his jaw on the floor. He turned back to see Clary laughing at him. "Stop it! Toying with emotions is cruel."

"She's only playing, Simon. There could be worse women flirting with you." Clary smiled.

"Do…do you, wait…you think she was flirting just now?!" Simon squealed.

"That's what Isabelle does. Though if she ever heard your voice go as high as it just did then, I think it would stop before you could say 'puberty'. See ya later!" Clary sang as she rushed off.

Simon watched her go and smiled as he shook his head with exasperation. "Women'll kill me…"

…

Jace hated – HATED – the IT department.

Recently the whole department had been downgraded, meaning more people working on fewer floors. Every floor was packed with Jace's biggest fear (aside from ducks – never trust a duck); tech nerds.

Jace had offered to take over the trial from Robert and Maryse, but they had insisted on doing it themselves and that he had to oversee the installation of the new software. He just had to hope it would run smoothly so he could go back to doing something actually worthwhile.

Obviously, the IT department were the first floors to have the new system installed so they could test it; all seemed to be going well so work had begun throughout the building. Jace supposed it would be better for the firm to have a better archive system, but did he really need to do any overseeing? Wasn't the whole point of machines the fact that they can save humans from doing work?

The worst part was that Jace had to talk to the head of the IT department about the system and take on board any comments she had; Dot Robbins was…interesting. She seemed nice enough, but Jace was still reluctant to stay in her company for too long. One time she'd offered to read some tarot cards for him and he'd kept a considerable amount of distance between them ever since. This time, however, he had to brave his demons.

Dot had her own office at the end of the room, so Jace tentatively made his way inside and was relieved to see there weren't any tarot cards nearby. "Hey Dot."

"Ah, Jace. Maryse told me you were overseeing things today." Dot said happily. She was dressed in a million different colours and wouldn't have looked out of place on the set of Teletubbies.

"Correct. So, uh…how's it all going? Smoothly I hope?" Jace enquired.

"All seems to be running nicely here. I haven't tried the employee database yet, though." Dot explained.

"I didn't know that was getting an update." Jace said.

"It was just an extra part of the package; it just organises the information into sections instead of having to scroll through a huge chunk of text. Shall I test it out now?" Dot asked.

"Good idea." Jace smiled. (Anything to get him out of the IT department as soon as possible.)

"Okay, shall we look at my profile or yours?" Dot wondered.

Jace smirked. "Neither. Try Simon Lewis. I bet he has such a dorky picture."

"Simon…Lewis…" Dot said aloud as she typed. Quick as flash, a list of numbers and references appeared on screen, the left hand side of the display showing a picture of Simon flashing an awkward looking smile.

"Oh, that's even better than I'd hoped. Hang on." Jace chuckled, getting out his phone and taking a picture of the screen. "I might frame that. So how is everything updated?"

"There's an edit button in the top right corner of each profile and then you just follow the on-screen instructions. Simple stuff, really." Dot revealed.

"Can you get his academic details up? I wanna see how well he did at Harvard." Jace ordered.

"Sure. Here you go." Dot said, clicking on one section of Simon's profile and opening it out onto the whole screen. On it were a list of grades and score results.

Jace looked over the screen. "Damn, Lewis; he really is a smartass. Practically aced every single test; top of his class in one, two, three, four, fi-"

Jace stopped suddenly at one particular score. Dot looked at him, concerned. "Everything alright, Jace?"

"…Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Dot. Thanks for your help; I'm glad it's all working out. I just…I'm gonna check it's running okay in my office. See ya." Jace said and rushed out. The colour had left his face.

…

"Hook, line and sinker." Clary said happily as she returned to her desk a few hours later. Simon grinned at her as she took a seat back in her cubicle.

"Road trip went well, I take it?" He asked.

"It did. We managed to get four witnesses to agree to testify in court." Clary announced proudly.

"Well done you! You and your BFF make quite the team, then." Simon said.

"Stop saying 'BFF', Simon. And yeah, I suppose we do. It's nice to get a taste of what I'll hopefully be doing one day." Clary admitted.

"Hey, there's no 'hopefully' about it; you'll get there." Simon smiled.

"Uh oh. Look who's back…" Clary whispered as she looked over Simon's shoulder. He turned to see Alec approach Clary's cubicle.

"I just saw Isabelle; she wanted you to have this – said I'd bring it since I'm heading home while they install some software in my office. Something about some cases she'd appreciate you looking over if you get the time." Alec explained, giving Clary a USB stick.

"Oh, wow! Amazing! Uh, thanks." Clary said.

Alec looked at Simon. "Still working here against all the odds, I see?"

"Indeed I am. Enjoy your holiday? Where'd you go? I hear the Bahamas are lovely." Simon retaliated.

"I'm not the holiday kind of person. Sometimes you just need a break from certain _people_." Alec said spitefully before walking off.

"What is that guy's problem? He's got some issues." Simon shook his head.

"Just don't let him get to you; I can't believe _that's_ Isabelle's brother. How is one sibling so lovely and then…I don't even have the words to describe Alec most of the time." Clary said.

The phone on Simon's desk rang and he was quick to answer it. "Hello? Okay, now? On my way. Thanks. Bye!" He hung up and got up from his desk. "Jace wants to see me."

"Aw, Jace misses his wife." Clary teased.

"Shut up." Simon laughed as he headed for the elevator.

…

Simon walked into Jace's office and carefully closed the door behind him. "What's up?"

Jace was faced away from Simon, looking out the window into the beautiful view of New York. "Sit down."

"Is this gonna take long? I still need to finish-"

"-Sit on a _fucking chair_." Jace spat, turning around and glaring at Simon with anger over his face like Simon had never seen on a human being before.

"Okay, okay…" Simon obeyed and sat down. "Did something happen with Alec again? He was a right jerk just now."

Jace let out a huge sigh, his body completely tensed up. "…No, nothing to do with Alec."

"Then what? You look kinda tense." Simon asked.

Jace said nothing, just slid a thin folder across the desk. Simon picked it up and looked inside to find a printed copy of his employee file. He winced. "Wow, that is the definition of an unflattering picture."

"Anything stand out to you?" Jace asked.

Simon looked over the document. "I'm guessing you're referring to the bit you've circled. Are you just super impressed with my grades?"

"You got an A+ in Benjamin Langstrom's class." Jace said, echoing the date from the file.

"…Well, yeah." Simon chuckled.

"…I went to a conference with Robert, I don't know, maybe 18 months ago. Langstrom was there; pretty sharp talking guy." Jace began.

"…He, uh…he certainly was."

"Robert told me all about him. He's got a hell of a reputation at Harvard, right? His class is known for its difficulty." Jace said.

"Hard work pays off, right?" Simon shrugged.

"Absolutely." Jace nodded with a smile. The smile faded quickly as he walked around the desk and leant against it, towering above Simon's head and looking down on him. "Langstrom is famous for having never given higher than a B- in his class. Tough critic, everyone says."

Simon's heart stopped.

"And yet, here it is clear as day; Simon Lewis, the great, almighty Simon Lewis, got an A+. Remarkable. Except that can't be possible, as I've made clear."

"…Jace…"

"Well, obviously someone made a mistake when they entered the grades into the system, right? I thought I'd better double check and everything so I called Harvard's admission office." Jace explained.

Simon was almost certain he was about to pass out; he'd gone numb all over. "You…you did?"

"I did. What do you think they told me, Simon?"

"Jace, look, I-"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY TOLD ME? I want to hear you say it. SAY. IT. What did they tell me?"

Simon could hardly form a single word and was silent for a long time as Jace stared at him. "…That I didn't go to Harvard."

"Wow, you really are a genius. 'I'm sorry Mr Wayland, we don't have a record of a Simon Lewis – did you mean _Simone_ Lewis'? 'Oh, you know what? That _is_ who I meant. I'm glad everything checks out, thanks for your time!'." Jace relayed, his icy stare unmoving from Simon's eyes.

"You…you didn't tell them?" Simon almost whispered.

"No. But dear god, you have _no idea_ just how much I wanted to tell them what an unbelievable, lying son of a bitch you are. I wondered why the hell you'd lie about what law school you went to. So what one _did_ he go to? So I called all the local law schools since you've lived in New York all your life and made my excuses when _every single one of them_ told me Simon Lewis had never so much as stepped foot in their buildings."

"I can explain…"

"Oh, you can? Really? So you do have a law degree and all of this was just a mistake?" Jace asked argumentatively.

"If you just let me-"

"-Cut the bullshit. Go on, tell me this was all a mistake. _Please_ tell me there's been a huge mistake." Jace said, kneeling down to match Simon's eye level. "Go right ahead."

Simon held back the tears stinging the back of his eyes and took a moment. "…I'm sorry."

"Say it. Tell me to my face like a man, not that you're even close to being one."

"…I…I don't have a law degree."

Simon didn't even see Jace's fist move, but before he knew he was on the floor and could taste the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Outside, Jocelyn got up from her desk but Jace gestured for her to sit back down.

"You _piece of shit_!" Jace screamed.

"I'm sorry! I'm SORRY!" Simon shouted, blood dripping down his chin and onto his shirt.

"You don't even get it…you have no idea what situation you've put me in. That's why you were only interviewing to be a paralegal, wasn't it?" Jace demanded.

"…This has been my dream for years, how could I just turn down an opportunity like this? If you'd done the background checks like any other employee…"

Jace punched Simon again. Simon had barely hit the floor when Jocelyn burst into the room. "WHAT IS GOING ON? THAT'S ENOUGH, JACE!"

"Jocelyn, please. Get out." Jace seethed.

"No way in hell!" Jocelyn shouted.

"Jocelyn, it's…okay." Simon mumbled as he got back up to his feet, more and more blood dripping onto the floor. "Just give us…a minute. It's…fine."

Jocelyn very, very reluctantly stepped back out.

"Do you not realise how lucky you are that I'm the one who found this out? What if Alec or Robert or Maryse typed your name into the system and saw what I saw? You'd be in jail faster than you could say 'fraud'. Do you not have the faintest idea what you've done? I put my trust and faith in you, and I _never_ do that lightly! How dare you try and pin it all on me! This is YOUR fault, not mine! If this gets out you're finished and so am I!" Jace screamed furiously.

Simon sat back down onto a chair, taking off his jacket and using it to wipe the blood off his face. "I…I wouldn't let you take the fall. I'd, ow…I'd tell you them didn't know."

"Oh, how sweet of you. All is forgiven." Jace spat. "I swore to Robert and Maryse that you were squeaky clean, and they said if I was wrong about you I'd lose my job. So I can't even tell them because I'd be out the door right alongside you. Fucking _fraud_! How could you do this?"

"I couldn't afford law school, okay?! This was the next best thing, even if it was only a paralegal position! This was my _dream_!" Simon exclaimed.

"I don't give a shit about your dream! You're not qualified to be doing this fucking job! And even you quitting, me firing you or demoting you would raise eyebrows; people would wonder, research and it all comes out anyway! I know for sure Alec would! And Clary wouldn't let you go without a fight. How did you do this?" Jace demanded angrily.

"I…there was this guy from college. Crazy good with tech stuff…I paid him to hack into Harvard's database and add me in." Simon explained, shame pumping through his body.

"You fucking moron! You're in their database but not on file! What a fucking mess! I can't believe it…why did I have to overhear you and Jocelyn? Working in a top law firm and breaking the law while doing it…I need to wake up because this is a fucking nightmare!" Jace shouted.

"I…I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry I've done this."

"Shut up, Potter. You're not in the least bit sorry, you're sorry you got caught. It's just lucky you were caught by me. Now we're both in this mess." Jace sighed and sat down at his desk, slamming his fist on it so hard that a pot of pens toppled over.

Silence.

"…So…what happens now?" Simon asked eventually, barely able to breathe.

"…We keep covering our tracks, since that's the only choice we have if we want to have a career. We pray to god that no one finds out that you're a worthless piece of crap. I keep clean shirts in the cupboard over there in case I stay overnight; you're gonna get changed and cleaned up, you're gonna go home and you're gonna stay the _fuck_ out of my way until I tell you otherwise. You have a problem only I can solve? Tough shit. Just…just get out of my sight." Jace said venomously, looking down and unable to look at Simon for more than a second.

"…What about Jocelyn?"

"You can't hide a thing from her. I'll have to tell her too but I swear she won't tell anyone; she's the person I trust the most. But it stops with her. Silence means security. No one else ever finds out. _Ever_."

"…I'm sorry, Jace."

"Oh, I don't care. Just fuck off."

It wasn't even the more than obvious anger in Jace's voice and body language that Simon hated himself for the most, it was the disappointment. He headed into the cupboard to find a clean shirt and wished the ground would swallow him up. By the time he'd gotten changed and cleaned up using the ensuite in Jace's office, Jace was gone.

He walked out and knew from the way Jocelyn looked at him, like a stranger, that she'd been told the truth. Words failed him, so he hurried to the elevator and out of the building, not even going back to get his coat and bags from his cubicle. He'd text Clary to tell her he'd gone home sick or something. He certainly felt sick; sick to his stomach with hatred for himself.

The whole cycle ride home was a blur; he'd even been tempted to take a sharp turn into the traffic and was still trying to work out why he hadn't gone through with it.

He was shaking all over by the time he got to his apartment door and unlocked it. The second he closed the door behind him, his legs gave way and he slid down the wall, staring into space. His vision, his mind…nothing was focused.

"Simon? Simon? What the-? Why's your face swollen? What's happened? SIMON?! Si?!" Jordan exclaimed, trying to shake Simon back to reality. Simon, however, just kept staring ahead; barely even part of the world around him anymore.

He just stared ahead, even though he was utterly terrified of the future in front of him.


	7. The Glamour Girl

The two weeks that followed were all a blur.

Simon got up, went to work, pretended everything was fine and got on with his daily workload. Jace had made Jocelyn email him a list of things to do every day, but had still yet to speak to him since the day he found out the truth. Simon had somehow managed to convince everyone that his swollen jaw and black eye had come from a clumsy accident at his apartment, and despite her initial disdain Jocelyn slowly came round to Simon's way of thinking, saying she'd have probably done the same if it meant following a dream, and ended up delivering Jace's orders to him in person after a few days.

Simon had noted the warm smile Jocelyn had shared with Clary every time she'd come to see him every morning. "You two seem close."

"Well, you tend to bond with someone when they gave birth to you." Clary said.

"Wait, WHAT?! Jocelyn's your…holy crap!"

"Tell anyone else and I'll give you a black eye. Well, another one." Clary joked.

"Thanks for that." Simon grumbled light-heartedly, looking through the folder Jocelyn had given him on Jace's behalf full of forms to go through and cases to research.

"Man, Jace is really piling the work on you lately, huh? What'd you do wrong?" Clary observed.

"…It's complicated." Simon sighed.

"Ooh, trouble in paradise?"

"You could say that. One hell of a falling out."

"Wow, angry Jace…what's that like?" Clary asked.

"He's uh…a scary dude." Simon said, not thinking as he touched his black eye.

"Oh my god," Clary whispered, leaning forward, "Jace did _that_ to you, didn't he? Not some accident at your apartment bullshit?"

Simon's reluctant silence answered her question.

"Simon, you can't let that stand! That's abuse at the workplace, you should sue him! Who does he think he is, the son of a-"

"-Clary, it's okay. Honestly, I really, _really_ deserved it. I messed up big time and I provoked him. If I hadn't have said anything he wouldn't have hit me." Simon stated sincerely. Clary could see on her friend's face that he was telling the truth.

"…Okay, so what did you do that was so bad?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, I…I can't tell you that."

"Even so, he shouldn't have hit you." Clary stated.

"Honestly, if I were in his position…I would have killed me." Simon admitted sadly.

…

Jace sat at his desk pretending to do work at his computer. Jocelyn knew better.

She stood at his office door for a few good minutes before Jace relented and acknowledged her. "Can I help you?"

"Have you spoken to Alec lately? Simon?" Jocelyn asked.

"Why are you asking me questions you know the answers to already?" Jace retaliated.

"You and Alec were really close not so long ago, and you and Simon make a hell of a team and you know it."

"Slight problem there; he doesn't have a law degree and that's a secret we have to bury." Jace seethed.

"I know, and I understand your anger and frustration, but you should have checked his records and references before hiring him." Jocelyn said.

"That's not the way I do things."

"And how has that worked out for you? I know you're just typing random crap on the computer; you've lost your focus." Jocelyn noticed.

"I'll have you know I'm working on the newest chapter of my erotic Star Wars FanFiction, 'C-3PHoe'. It's coming along handsomely." Jace smirked.

"Not lost your humour, then?"

"I'm certain my last words will be a sarcastic dig at my loved ones."

"If you want loved ones to mock you might need to try actually letting people in once and a while. Look, keeping your distance from Simon is just gonna make people all the more suspicious; hell, all Clary can talk about at home is how upset Simon's been recently. Just wait till that spreads and people like Alec or Luke find out, people even you can't talk your way out of trouble from. Simon's bloody good at this job and you work so well together. If it has to be kept a secret then you might as well just trust in how well you work together and go all out. Change the world." Jocelyn warned.

"…Rebuilding trust takes time." Jace sighed.

"I know, and I get that he hurt you even if you won't admit that. But your anger at Simon won't go unnoticed much longer. He's hurting too; he hates himself for the mess he's caused."

"Forgive me for not feeling very sympathetic towards him." Jace said.

"Forgive me for caring about the future of this firm and _your_ future too. You may as well put a sign on the door saying 'SIMON LEWIS IS A FRAUD AND I KNEW ABOUT IT, SEND ME TO JAIL' if you keep this up much longer." Jocelyn said sternly before walking out and sitting back at her desk.

Jace sat in silence for a few moments, deep in thought. A smile quickly spread across his face as he chuckled lightly. "C-3PHoe…I'm proud of that one."

…

"Simon, I need you."

Isabelle hadn't hesitated at all as she reached Simon's cubicle with purpose and stared at him, determination and grit in her eyes.

 _Finally, all those gym trips have paid off._ Simon thought.

"I've got a deposition with my client in an hour." Isabelle clarified.

Simon knew Isabelle's initial statement didn't mean what he'd hoped it did, but nonetheless had to hide some disappointment. "So you'll be sitting in a room with your client while the opposition films them while asking them questions related to the case…" Simon expressed.

Isabelle laughed lightly. "Yes, I know what a deposition is. I need you to be in there with me. My client's prone to anxiety attacks and it took a lot to get her to actually be able to do this without passing out. I'm sure a friendly face on her side calming her down would help."

"And you think _I'm_ that friendly face?" Simon wondered, gesturing to his black eye.

"You're handsome enough, she'll look past that."

"Handsome enough? Flattery will get you nowhere." Simon teased sarcastically.

"Please? I get that sense from you that you can calm people and know just what to say and do. Think of how awesome we worked together last time." Isabelle pleaded.

"I don't know how I feel about being your second choice." Simon stated.

"Second choice?"

"Well, I take it Alec must've said no."

"He would have if I'd have asked him at all, which I haven't. Alec is…Alec. You're my one and only choice for this. Jace is sweet when he wants to be but he's too arrogant and we're still not on the best of terms." Isabelle explained.

"Well…when you put it so lovingly…" Simon smirked.

Isabelle rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "My office in fifty minutes, Lewis. I'll brief you there."

Simon watched her go with a grin before noticing Clary smirking at him. "What?"

"I think we need to install a tiny hook hanging from the ceiling to keep your jaw from hitting the floor. One day the damage would be irreversible." Clary teased.

"Shut up." Simon blushed.

…

"Thanks for doing this." Isabelle told Simon as they walked into the meeting room on the 40th floor looking out onto the beautiful New York skyline. "I hope I'm not keeping you from too much work."

"Nothing I can't catch up on soon enough." Simon smiled as Isabelle led him to a young woman, maybe mid-20s. Her arms were folded and her head leant down towards the floor; she couldn't look more uncomfortable and nervous if she tried. Her hair was dirty blonde and if Simon could tell anything about her from appearance alone it was that she loved denim.

"Maisie, this is Simon Lewis, a fellow associate. He'll be sitting in with us today." Isabelle explained softly. Maisie lifted her head up quickly enough to look at Simon, nod and return to its original position.

"Don't worry, I won't bite. I'm not a vampire or anything. Though that would be awesome." Simon laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. It didn't.

"The jerk defending the opposition will be here with his client anytime now. He's managing partner at his firm so clearly he's taking it seriously. Well, that and the fact that his firm is small and doesn't get a lot of cases so if one ever comes his way he'll leap at the chance to get out that stinky old office of his. Not that I know if his office is stinky; I'd lose my credibility if I stepped foot in Santiago Belcourt." Isabelle explained.

Isabelle and Simon sat either side of Maisie; they both felt terrible for the poor girl. Isabelle had informed Simon of the situation on the way up; Maisie's boss had made a pass at her, she'd rejected him and soon enough found herself without a job, now claiming for unfair dismissal.

"It's gonna be fine. You've done nothing wrong, remember?" Isabelle said, gently placing a supportive hand on Maisie's back. Maisie shook it off. Isabelle looked at Simon, her eyes saying _she's never been this bad before_.

"Maisie, I'm guessing you're probably nervous about seeing that creepy bastard again, right?" Simon asked. Maisie lifted her head a little and nodded. "I thought so. Well, we've got a whole table between us and him and he's not allowed to come near you. If he does, I know a guy who can beat him up. _Trust me_."

Simon pointed to his own black eye. Maisie's shoulders moved slightly, indicating minor laughter.

"I know it's scary being here, too. I haven't worked here too long and this is all still very new to me too. This is my first deposition, just like you. So we're in this together. Being scared is good, though; scared is a superpower. It gives you strength you never knew you had because you simply have to be brave. That piece of crap who's about to walk in is the top dog of his company, so he won't be scared. That's why we're gonna beat him. All you need to do is answer all the questions they ask honestly and know that we'll get the chance to do exactly the same thing to him. It will be over before you know it." Simon stated heartily.

Maisie looked up at right at Simon. "You got that whole 'scared is a superpower' thing from Doctor Who."

"Yes I did, and it's very sound advice." Simon smiled and Maisie chuckled lightly. Isabelle's face lit up with hope and elation. "Plus, if we do this, if _you_ do this, it'll mean we can stop him from doing what he did to you to anyone else. We can stick it to him; teach him not to abuse his power like that ever again. Imagine seeing his face drop; he thinks he has control over you so is only coming to try and throw you off. Look that creep right in the eye and make him realise what he is. A great big…jerkface."

Isabelle laughed at that, as did Maisie.

"Kinda lost the impact of the moment at the end there, but I think you're getting the point. Only you can be brave enough to do this. He thinks he has power, but I know, Izzy knows, and YOU know that you have the power. The power to change the world just a little bit. And don't worry, I'm not about to break out into a rendition of Snap's 'I've Got the Power'. I'll save that for the shower." Simon added and Maisie laughed again.

"…Okay." Maisie said, letting out a breath that she seemed to have been holding in for a hundred years. "I think I can be brave enough."

"I know you can." Simon and Isabelle said at the same time. They shared a look and smiled.

A young looking man in a suit entered the room, followed by Maisie's ex-employer (who looked exactly like the creep Simon expected). The younger man, who certainly looked younger than he must have been, took a moment to take in every person sat opposite him as he himself sat down with his client. He clocked Simon and noted that he hadn't seen him before. He was traditionally handsome, with slicked black hair and seductive eyes and lips, yet his natural quality of sucking the fun out of any room he entered tended to put people off.

"I'm Raphael Santiago, of Santiago Belcourt." He announced to Simon.

"Simon Lewis, of…the firm you're in now."

Isabelle and Maisie cracked a smile. Raphael and his client did not.

"Shall I set up the camera and get started?" Raphael suggested, sending a glare Maisie's way that might have sent her jumping out of the window ten minutes earlier.

Maisie looked at Simon and then at Isabelle and sat up straight in her chair. "The sooner the better."

Simon looked at Isabelle and found she was already looking at him. They shared a look of two proud parents reflecting on how fast their little girl had grown up.

In that moment, Simon actually felt for the first time like he had the potential to be bloody good at this job.

…

Once a week, Jace took a break from a rigorous regime of exercise and healthy eating for fifteen minutes and ate a cheeseburger from one of the burger vans down the road from the firm. He'd gone there every week for as long as he could remember, even before he started working at Lightwood Garroway. He knew the three people who worked there very well; he'd even gone on a few dates with Rachel, the pretty one who always gave him extra cheese when she could get away with it.

Jace couldn't remember exactly how he'd ended things with her; he was not the relationship kind of guy. He'd have made up some bullshit that she clearly believed as they were on very good terms with one another. He'd yet to find a situation he couldn't talk his way out of; one time he got stopped for speeding and ten minutes later he and the officer were sharing a beer at a local bar.

Rachel wasn't working today, however; Isaac was manning the van. Isaac was always pretty tight with portions, but Jace often managed to swipe an extra slice of cheese or tomato when he wasn't looking to make up for it. He had to get his money's worth after all.

Jace received his burger, held up his hand as a goodbye gesture to Isaac, turned around and came very close to nearly dropping his food from the surprise of seeing Clary stood there. "Clary, what the hell?!"

"I could smell the arrogance in the air, so I followed the scent to bring me to you."

"I stopped wearing Arrogance, actually; I've been wearing Sexy for the past few years." Jace smirked as he moved to sit down on a bench near to the van. Clary sat down next to him.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" Clary asked.

"Other people do as well." Jace smiled.

"I don't. I think you're a jackass."

Jace looked genuinely concerned. "…I thought we were cool? I haven't told anyone that Jocelyn is your mom, I swear."

"Why did you give Simon a black eye?" Clary demanded.

Jace sighed. "Ah."

"Yeah, 'ah'. There's no way he deserved that. He could sue you!"

"He won't, though. And in my defence, he _did_ have it coming."

"Why?"

"…I can't tell you that." Jace said.

"Why not? You and Simon seem suspiciously reluctant to give any details?"

"Then maybe you should respect the wishes of your friends and realise it's none of your business."

"Simon's my friend. You're not." Clary stated, getting up and walking off. Jace sighed and followed after her, grabbing her arm to stop her walking any further. "You gonna hit me too?"

"Come on, that's not fair. I wouldn't hurt you. Ever. This whole thing…it's between me and Simon."

"Is it? Because all I see is you sending mom to talk to Simon while you ignore him. You _punched_ him, Jace, and now you won't talk to him. Simon's really upset about it. It must be really serious and I want to know if you're gonna keep making him suffer. Don't tell me what the fight was about, fine, but at least fix it. I can tell he misses you." Clary said.

Jace looked at her for a moment. "…I doubt that very much. I'm an asshole to the guy."

"Which is still more attention than he gets from anyone else but me and maybe Isabelle. I think he likes the comradery." Clary observed.

"…He really messed up, okay? He put me in a situation we can't really get out of." Jace said.

"Well if you can't get out of it, can you at least get used to it? Make the most of it? I've seen you two together; you make an awesome pair. If there's any chance of salvaging that, despite everything, shouldn't you take it? For the firm if nothing else?" Clary suggested.

"…I don't like it when other people make good points."

"I have a habit of doing that." Clary smiled. Jace recognised the look on her face; the sheer belief and confidence in herself and her abilities. He'd made that same face a million times. With him it made him look like a jerk, but with Clary…the only word he could think of was glamourous.

"…I'll talk to him. But I won't apologise for hitting him." Jace said.

"I suppose that'll have to do. Did I just close my first case?" Clary smiled happily.

"I mean, it wasn't technically a case…" Jace began, then noted the disappointment on Clary's face and knew he had to rectify that immediately, if not sooner. "…but…yeah, you totally did."

Clary smiled again, and Jace smiled back. She playfully punched him on the shoulder and hid how impressed she was that he didn't move an inch from his stance. "I'm sorry. You _are_ my friend."

"Good." Jace smiled. "You ever tried one of these burgers?"

"No, are they good?"

"The best. Come on, I'll get you one. You distract the guy while I try and swipe some extra supplies. I'm running low on ketchup at my place." Jace smirked. He was pleasantly surprised when Clary wrapped her arm around his as they headed back to the burger van, the word glamourous still very much in his head as he looked at her.

…

"Our girl kicked ass in there!" Isabelle grinned as she walked back into her office, Simon not far behind her.

" _Our_ girl? She's your client." Simon stated.

"And she'd have been dead in the water without your little pep talk. I've never been good with that kinda thing but somehow I knew you would be. I knew my faith wasn't misplaced." Isabelle smiled. "I noticed you called me Izzy in there."

Simon froze. "Oh…sorry, I didn't realise-"

"-No…I quite like it." Isabelle grinned. Simon blushed as he took in the woman sat at the desk before him. She was quite simply…glamourous.

There was a light tapping on the glass. Simon and Isabelle looked to see Alec stood there, his phone in his hand. "I'm heading out. I'll be back in a bit."

"Oh, okay." Isabelle nodded.

Alec briefly looked at his phone, smiled and noticed Simon stood there for the first time. "Hey, Simon."

With that, Alec hurried out again. Simon looked at Isabelle in astonishment. "Something's wrong. Alec just talked to me like a human being with words not caked in resentment and hatred."

Isabelle laughed. "He has his moments. He's been in a surprisingly good mood the last few days. Well, as long as you don't mention the words 'Jace' or 'parents'. Then normal service is resumed."

"Noted. Well, I better head back to work. Thanks for letting me help out." Simon said.

"Help out is a bit of an understatement. The look of Raphael and that creeper's face was all thanks to you. You were brilliant."

"You must be rubbing off on me." Simon smiled shyly. "Well, that and my 'handsome enough' features."

Isabelle smiled again. "Yeah…thinking about it, I sold you short a bit there."

Isabelle's eyes were fire itself. One part of Simon wanted to jump over her desk, pull her close and kiss her with everything he had. The other, not so turned on parts of Simon knew he needed to go before he fainted.

"…You'd better get back to work." Isabelle added eventually, a twinkle in her eye (and was she blushing?).

"…Yeah. I, uh…yeah. See you around." Simon said and hurried out, grimacing at how uncool his exit was. When it came to flirting with women, he'd only ever been successful at comic book conventions. Then again, the Wonder Woman he'd spent ten minutes flirting with turned out to be a dude, so maybe not.

As Simon was about to reach the elevator, Jocelyn called out after him and he approached her desk.

"He wants to see you." Jocelyn said. Every inch of Simon's body started to ache with worry as he turned and walked into Jace's office. Jace was sat at his desk and said nothing until Simon took a seat.

"I don't regret punching you."

"How nice of you to say so."

"I do regret how unprofessional I've been ever since then. I should have just got on with this predicament we've found ourselves in. Yes, you started this mess but it's our mess now and I was jeopardising the secret right from the off. I'm sorry. If I'm being truly honest, I'd have done the same thing if I were you. It's gonna be hard work keeping this under wraps, but…we do make a hell of a team. So let's call this page one, shall we?" Jace suggested, offering his hand out to Simon from across the desk.

Simon took it. "Page one. And I'm sorry too. I've been selfish."

"No one understands selfishness better than me. We draw a line under this now, okay? Get back to kicking some ass?"

"…Absolutely. Team Kickass."

"Never refer to us as Team Kickass ever again, Potter."

"I'll add that to the list." Simon said, taking a risk and giving a slight smile. Jace nodded and sat back in his chair. "I think we'll be okay."

"I think we will too, Lewis."

"…Can I ask what changed your mind so suddenly?" Simon wondered.

Jace smiled. "…You'll have to thank Clary for that. She's, uh…she's quite something, that girl."

Simon's thoughts briefly turned to Isabelle. "She is."

Silence for a moment.

"Okay, sentimental moment over, Boy Who Lived. Get out."


	8. Between Pain And Desire

The second Alec walked into Luke's office and saw Robert, Maryse, Luke and Jace staring at him, he turned and went to walk straight back out.

"Alexander, please." Maryse pleaded.

With an exaggerated sigh, Alec faced them again and glared at Luke accusingly. "You tricked me."

"If Robert or Maryse had summoned you, you wouldn't have come." Luke argued.

"Which is more a reflection on them than me." Alec stated, trying to pretend his parents weren't even there.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Still being a baby, huh?"

"Still being a stuck-up prick, huh?" Alec retaliated.

"Boys, calm down. We called both of you here in the hope that you could act in a civil and professional manner for even a few mere minutes." Robert said.

"What do you want?" Alec and Jace said in sync. They looked at one another briefly; when they'd done that previously they'd share a smirk and chuckle a little since it happened so often. But that was a long time ago.

"We're giving you a case." Luke announced.

"And we both had to come in here for that?" Jace questioned.

"You're not both getting an individual case, we're giving both of you a case to work on together." Robert clarified.

"A case with Jace?" Alec sounded appalled.

"He's a poet but didn't know it." Jace smirked under his breath.

"This tension between you two has gone on long enough. It's about time you two started working _together_ again, on the same side of things. Hopefully this will help iron out your differences." Maryse said.

"That's one hell of a 'hopefully'." Alec grumbled.

"This isn't a request, you're doing this together. As your superiors." Luke said firmly.

"Can we just stay in our own offices and just use walkie talkies?" Jace suggested with a smile.

"I'd forgotten you still had the mind of a seven year old child." Alec snapped.

"Then consider me a child genius. Is this it?" Jace asked, picking up the file that sat on Luke's desk. "Cool, I'll look it over."

"Why do you get to take the file?" Alec asked.

"I was closer." Jace argued.

"…I was wrong. _Six_ year old child." Alec hissed.

" _Enough_. You're both going to work together as professionals and work this problem out. The stakes are high here; our client is Geoff." Robert revealed.

Alec and Jace's heads straightened in shock. Geoff had been a personal driver for the firm since its inception, and had run every person stood in that office around countless numbers of times. Even Alec had a place in his heart for lovely old Geoff.

"Geoff's in trouble?" Jace asked.

"Hopefully not for much longer. Fix this. Together." Luke urged.

"Consider it done." Alec said, snatching the file from Jace's hand and walking out of the office.

"Oh yeah, _I'm_ the child." Jace groaned as he followed suit.

…

"Honestly, they're the best burgers in the world. IN. THE. WORLD. We're going there for lunch and no arguments." Clary blabbed passionately as Simon looked on and smiled.

"No offence, but I never thought of you as the kind of person who loved food from burger vans." Simon admitted.

"Normally I'm not, but this could change everything. I can feel my inner New Yorker finally coming out." Clary grinned. "Hopefully I can swing an extra serving of cheese."

"Just brie careful with what you eat." Simon smirked before chuckling to himself.

"That pun was horrendous."

"All the best ones are."

"Terrible puns aside, what do you say to us getting a drink after work? Celebrate the weekend finally getting here?" Clary suggested.

"Uh…yeah. One or two won't hurt I guess. Would you mind if I brought my roommate along? He desperately needs to go outside, like…seriously." Simon added.

"No problem, the more the merrier." Clary smiled.

Jace appeared almost out of nowhere and popped his head over Simon's cubicle. "Can I borrow a pen?"

"Don't do that! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Then change your underwear and man up. Pen? Preferably red. Alec hates red pens." Jace added, giving Clary a quick wave.

"Why is that relevant?" Simon wondered.

"Because I'm being forced to work with him on a case to save one of the firm's drivers. He got involved in an accident and he's being sued for a ridiculous amount of damages. The prosecution say their client was on the way to an auction on priceless antiques he collects and the accident meant he missed the chance to bid on the items he wanted. Which is bullshit." Jace explained.

"Well, do try not to kill each other. I could've sworn I remember there being some red pens in the pot in your office?" Simon wondered as he handed Jace a pen.

Jace fiddled with the pen. "I may have thrown the pot out of my window a few minutes ago."

"Do I want to know why?" Simon asked.

"Alec wanted to take the lead in court!"

"What are you, a six year old boy?"

"I'm leaving now."

…

"This is a preposterous lawsuit. No way this needs to go to court. We'll break the bastard at the deposition." Alec said, throwing the file of documents onto his desk. After arguing for twenty minutes over whose office to base their operations in, Jocelyn flipped a coin and chose for them. Despite Jace's cries of "you're supposed to be on _my_ side!" she claimed the coin's decision was final.

"Geoff sounded so worried on the phone, poor guy." Jace sighed, flicking through his own copy of the paperwork he'd gotten Simon to photocopy for him.

"He doesn't need to worry. We'll fix this." Alec claimed.

"Of course we will. We're the best of the best." Jace stated. After a few moments he looked up from the chair he was sat on opposite Alec's desk and saw Alec staring at him. "What?"

"I'm waiting for you to somehow find a way to turn that into an insult against me."

"You're a bloody nightmare, Alec, but I've never denied that you're great at your job. Better than great, even. You just hold childish grudges that hold you back." Jace said.

"Justified grudges. It's my family name on the door and I'm stuck in this position."

"And yet I don't see Isabelle being a whiny brat about it."

"She has enough respect for you to not show her frustrations to your face." Alec said.

"…So you don't even respect me anymore?"

"Forgive me for not finding it in my heart to respect the guy who was gonna leave the firm that made him behind to join the big competition." Alec groaned.

"I've told you and Izzy time and time again that they set me up with those emails and documents! I've worked my ass off trying to make it up to you both – I even lent Simon to Izzy for a week." Jace protested.

"Oh, what a saint, lending your associate to someone. How is that _you_ making it up to her?"

"She needed help, and I gave it to her whilst trying to track you down so we could talk things through, but you were nowhere to be found. That's the thing with you, Alec; you're selfish. You make this whole thing about you and disappear for days at a time. Robert, Maryse and Luke want a team player, and you never are! Hell, we're going up against Morgenstern Starkweather in THIS CASE! Isn't that loyalty enough? Don't try and judge my commitment to the firm when you take days off at a time to sulk." Jace seethed.

"It shows them what it's like without me around."

"Yeah, and we all have a nice, peaceful day since you don't drag any drama into a professional work space."

"You know what, Jace?" Alec said, standing up.

"What?"

"It isn't easy seeing someone you used to be so close to follow the dreams _you_ had. I'm almost certain I'll never get higher up here than I am and it drives me _insane_!" Alec shouted.

"That's not true. They've told you themselves they're worried about how it'd look giving their own family members promotions over others." Jace said calmly, sensing a rage inside Alec that he'd seen far too many times and was not in the mood to deal with again.

"That's bullshit. You wanna know the reason Izzy and I don't get the top jobs?"

"Enlighten me." Jace challenged.

"Max."

Just hearing the name broke Jace's heart all over again. "…I know what Max's death did to you all."

"No, you really don't. Ever since Max died we stopped being a family. We were this rock solid unit as much as we like to pretend we never were these days. Max died and all our hearts broke and mom and dad became cold. They pushed Izzy and me away because being close to their children is what caused them so much pain. If we stay in these jobs they don't need to interact with us as much. They do it to stop their hearts getting broken. The worst part is I completely understand that. Yet I still want more anyway." Alec explained, a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes. He sat back down, the expression on his face a mix between pain and desire. "…I really _am_ selfish."

"…Alec, I…" The words couldn't form in Jace's mouth.

"We need to hurry this case along. Let's get this sorted out." Alec said, wiping his eyes. "Is the deposition arranged?"

Jace didn't want to dwell on the subject any further. "Yeah. Magnus Bane and his client will be here tomorrow."

Alec looked up. "Magnus Bane?"

"Yeah, he was at the restaurant when…you know." Jace mumbled softly.

"…Oh. Oh yeah…I remember."

…

Simon and Jordan walked into the bar Clary had told them to meet her at and were immediately struck by how classy the place seemed; the more he thought about it, the more Simon could see why Clary liked the place. There was a warmth to the way the lights illuminated the place, the décor was elegant and sophisticated and in the background the gentle melody of a harp was playing, not too distracting but not too subtle either. There was an instant sense of relaxation when you walked in. The tables were all made of a glossy mahogany; it felt like an oversized log cabin in the most wonderful of ways.

Simon wasn't too sure how formal the evening was going to be, but ultimately settled on wearing skinny jeans and a white shirt (it was only for a drink or two, after all). Jordan had finally changed out of tracksuit bottoms and wore black jeans and a light blue shirt – the only nice shirt he owned.

"There she is." Simon waved as he saw Clary already sat at a table in the corner of the bar. She was wearing more make-up then she did at work and had a sweet velvet green dress on.

"She's pretty cute." Jordan noted as the boys made their way over to her. Clary stood up and hugged Simon before warmly shaking Jordan's hand as they introduced themselves and sat down together.

"What can I get you?" Simon asked Clary and Jordan as he pulled out his wallet.

"Oh don't worry; Isabelle's getting the first round in." Clary smiled.

"…Isabelle?" Simon said nervously.

"Well you invited a friend; I thought I'd invite one too. Like I said, the more the merrier." Clary said.

"Isn't Isabelle the one you hardly stop gushing over?" Jordan asked Simon, who proceeded to turn a bright red as Clary laughed.

"I…I don't _gush_ over anyone." Simon stated firmly.

"Hello, boys." Isabelle purred as she walked up to the table, handing a glass of wine to Clary and placing another in front of the empty chair next to her. "Hi, Simon. This must be the roomie?"

"Uh, yeah. This is Jordan. Jordan, this is Isabelle." Simon said, staring down the entire time.

"Nice to meet you." Isabelle smiled. Jordan opened his mouth to speak but words didn't come out; he was simply staring at Isabelle like a walking coma. "…What can I get you guys to drink?"

Jordan remained silent. Simon coughed and spoke up. "We'll both have any old cider, thanks."

"I'll be right back." Isabelle smiled, resting on Simon's shoulder as she knelt down. "Is your friend okay?"

"No, but it's okay. He never has been." Simon nodded. Isabelle laughed before moving back towards the bar. Simon looked at a sheepish Jordan and smirked. "Smoothly done."

"I'm sorry, dude. All your gushing was _completely_ justified." Jordan managed eventually.

"Thank you!" Simon sounded elated.

"Ah, so there _was_ gushing?" Clary smirked.

Simon's face dropped again. "Uh…no."

It wasn't long before Isabelle returned with the cider for the boys and took her seat next to Clary before raising her glass. "To good company."

Everyone repeated the sentiment and tapped their glasses together before taking a sip of their drinks.

"Man, this is good stuff." Jordan sounded surprised.

"This place radiates quality." Clary nodded proudly; clearly she went there quite often.

"We don't tend to get out much." Simon added.

"Well, you'd have been busy with law school, that's understandable." Clary said and Isabelle nodded in agreement. Simon and Jordan briefly shared a look. "What do you do, Jordan?"

"Oh, uh…I'm currently between jobs. Finding my way, you know." Jordan said. Simon rolled his eyes.

"How did you two meet?" Isabelle asked, leaning forward a little as she took a sip of her wine.

Simon winced. "…Through my band."

"You have a band?" Clary grinned.

"Had, I kind phased out of it. Law school, you know?" Simon chuckled nervously.

"What was it called?" Isabelle asked.

Jordan chuckled. "What _wasn't_ it called? I don't think we ever settled on a name for more than two weeks before we changed it again."

"I preferred calling it 'moving with the times'." Simon argued.

"Long story short, I saw an ad up at a club one night about this band that was looking for a new drummer. I'd played since I was tiny, so I called the number and had a chat with this one here." Jordan explained, playfully nudging Simon.

"It was just me and my mates Eric, Kirk and Matt messing around. We did gigs at clubs and a few restaurants and stuff like that, but there was a phase where we got really serious about the band and having a career and we were missing a drummer. Mr Kyle here was rather good so he joined us." Simon continued.

"It was a good few years. Money was tight for a while but my mom was almost desperate for me to move out so she paid the deposit on an apartment for me and Si to live in, and we're still there now. Hey, do you remember Maureen?" Jordan smirked as Simon sighed heavily.

"We don't talk about Maureen."

"Who's Maureen?" Clary asked.

"Our biggest fan. Head over heels in love with Simon. She went to every gig she possibly could, even snuck into venues she was too young to be allowed into." Jordan clarified.

"How old was she?" Isabelle smiled, clearly amused.

"I don't know, thirteen maybe?" Simon sighed.

"Oh, that's kind of sweet." Clary grinned.

"If you'd seen the way she was around him in person you wouldn't be saying that." Jordan said.

"She was a little…enthusiastic." Simon nodded.

"She kicked her leg through my drum kit when she found out the band was breaking up." Jordan recalled in horror.

"And put a dead mouse through my letterbox." Simon added.

Isabelle turned to Clary with a smirk. "Still think she's sweet?"

"I really do not." Clary laughed.

Jordan raised his glass again. "To Maureen, wherever she may be."

The group laughed together as they tapped glasses once more.

…

An hour had quickly flown by, and the plan to have 'a drink or two' had somewhat been altered.

"Simon. I'm rather drunk." Jordan whispered in Simon's ear.

"You know what? I feel fine. Just need the bathroom." Simon said and stood up from his seat.

He took one step forward before falling to the floor with a loud thud. As other customers turned to look at him in amusement, Clary and Jordan had to grip the sides of the table with all they had to stop themselves falling onto the floor with laughter. Isabelle practically leapt over the table and knelt down next to Simon.

"Are you okay?" She asked with a mix of sympathy and amusement.

"I think I've had more than I thought. My vision is very blurry." Simon stated.

"…I think you broke your glasses." Isabelle noted, picking up a warped and cracked pair of spectacles from Simon's side as she helped him to his feet. She had drunk a considerable amount but was still not quite as tipsy as the others.

"Crap. So _this_ is what Velma always feels like." Simon groaned.

Isabelle couldn't hold back the smile on her face as she turned back to see Clary wiping her tears of laughter with Jordan's sleeve. "Maybe we should get you a cab home?"

Simon laughed to himself and nodded. "I know."

Isabelle chuckled at the complete irrelevance of the response, holding Simon up as best she could before turning to Clary and Jordan. "Okay you lightweights, time to get you home."

…

Simon woke with a splitting headache. Everything was uncomfortable.

He pulled off his duvet and saw he was still in the clothes he'd worn to the bar minus his shoes. His head pounding like a drum, he carefully stood up (and thanked God he didn't throw up) and tentatively opened his bedroom door.

He was thankful that the living room was surprisingly clean. He remembered falling through the door with Isabelle, Jordan and Clary, but from the view from his door he couldn't see them. It was then, however, he realised he couldn't see anything and everything was blurred.

 _My glasses. Crap._

He retreated into his bedroom and pulled out the spare pair he had from his bedside cabinet, put them on and tentatively walked back out. The living room was still surprisingly clean, yet now – very clearly – Isabelle could be seen sitting on a stool in the kitchen area, smiling at Simon. "Coffee?"

"Oh goodness yes." Simon grumbled and made his way over to the kitchen. Isabelle poured some of a fresh pot of coffee into a mug and handed it to him. "Thanks."

"Hey, it's your coffee, after all. How're you feeling?" Isabelle asked.

"Like death itself." Simon confirmed sadly.

Isabelle smirked. "You lot barely lasted a few hours. Shameful."

"I think I can remember having a LOT, in my defence."

"Perhaps."

"Where're the others?" Simon wondered.

"Jordan's still asleep in his bedroom. Clary's in there with him." Isabelle stated.

Simon glared at Isabelle. "What?!"

Isabelle laughed. "Just kidding. She passed out in the bathtub."

"Well, you seem fine, at least." Simon noted as he finished downing his coffee, not caring that it was burning his tongue.

"I can handle alcohol better than all three of you combined, it seems. When we came to drop you two off I thought we may as well as stay here so I could keep an eye on all of you. Don't want you choking on your own vomit." Isabelle explained.

Simon looked at her and wondered how, even after a somewhat intense drinking session, she could still look so radiant. "…Thanks for staying."

"My pleasure. I've got treasured memories of you all now." Isabelle grinned.

"Oh god, what did we do?"

"Oh, I'm not going to give too much away just yet, Simon."

"Crap. Fine…well, uh…thanks for at least getting my shoes off before I got into bed. I assume that was you?" Simon asked.

Isabelle laughed for a moment. "Actually, you threw them out of the cab window on the way back here."

"I…what?" Simon asked.

"You said you wanted them to be free." Isabelle said, holding back a huge grin.

"Simon Lewis, you moron." Simon sighed, resting his head on the kitchen table.

"That's what I was thinking too." Isabelle nodded, patting Simon on the back. The warmth of her hand made Simon feel a million times better. "I should be thanking you guys, really. I had a lot of fun nevertheless. It's nice to spend time with people that don't stress you out."

"I do spend a good seventy percent of my day imagining Jace being injured in ridiculous circumstances." Simon said and Isabelle smiled again.

"Me too." Isabelle nodded.

Simon took a few moments before having the courage to speak. "…He really _was_ framed with those emails and signatures."

"Simon, we've had the argument before, remember?"

"I'm older and wiser now."

"You don't look it."

Simon and Isabelle shared a look that became a smirk and then a laugh.

"I don't even want to think about how I look right now." Simon admitted.

"I've seen worse. Just about." Isabelle grinned.

"Hey, not all of us can look as perfect as you do all the time." Simon chuckled, standing up and grabbing the coffee put to pour himself another mug. He didn't seem to register exactly what he had said. Isabelle watched him for a moment, opened her mouth to say something, then decided against it and looked down at the floor with a sweet smile and red cheeks.

The bathroom door swung open and Clary stood in the doorway. Her dress was all crumpled and her hair looked like it had been dragged through a hedge. "Am I dead? Is this Hell?"

"Hey, this place isn't _that_ bad." Isabelle smiled. Simon placed another mug on the table, pouring some coffee for Clary, who rushed over and sat down. "I hope you feel better than you look."

"I very much doubt that." Clary moaned.

Another door slowly opened. Jordan stepped out and headed straight to the kitchen table, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he sat down. Everyone watched him in silence as he looked at them all one by one. "Morning."

"Jordan?" Simon asked.

"Yeah?"

"Where are your clothes?"

Jordan looked down at himself. "…Well this is embarrassing."

…

The intense sunlight shining into the meeting room was making it difficult to see and hard to get cool. Jace and Alec sat either side of a nervous Geoff, almost shaking the whole chair he sat on with nerves.

Alec placed a firm hand on Geoff's shoulder. "You don't need to worry, Geoff. We've got this locked down after the research we did last night."

"Exactly. This is gonna be over very quickly. We didn't get a wink of sleep from all that working but this will make that worth it." Jace added.

"You're telling me not to be nervous yet your hand is shaking just as much as I am." Geoff noted as he glared at Alec, who immediately withdrew his hand and placed it in his lap. Jace looked at him in confusion; there was no way they were losing this, so why was he so nervous?

The door opened as Jocelyn led two men into the room and sat them opposite Jace, Alec and Geoff. One was Magnus while the other was his client, a middle-aged man with greying hair and an intense look on his face. He rarely took his eyes away from Geoff.

"Wow, does this place not have air con?" Magnus wondered, unbuttoning his suit jacket.

"Don't worry, we won't be here long." Jace said sternly.

"Well isn't that good to hear. Nice to see you again, Jace. Alexander."

Jace simply shrugged as he looked over to Alec, who couldn't seem to look Magnus in the eye for too long at a time whereas Magnus seemed perfectly comfortable with staring at Alec and hardly ever anyone else.

"So, is this this going to court or are we going to negotiate a settlement? We do have a proposition if it comes to that." Magnus began.

Jace looked to Alec; they'd agreed that Alec could lead the deposition since Jace was still trying to mend things between them. However, Alec began muttering random sounds and phrases. Magnus gave him a small smile. "Is it too hot in here, Mr Lightwood?"

"There won't be a settlement. Or a court case." Jace stated firmly.

"Bullshit." Magnus' client groaned.

Jace stood up and began recording with the camera set up in front of them. "This deposition is now underway. Mr Phillips, when your vehicle collided with the vehicle belonging to my client, you were on your way to an auction, yes?"

"Yeah. I'd been after those antique jars for months and that idiot there prevented me from getting to them in time."

"But of course, this is all relative based on the fact that you may not even have successfully won that auction." Jace stated.

"There was no amount of money I wouldn't have paid." Mr Phillips urged.

"…I see. And the accident took place at 8.54am, is that correct?" Jace asked.

"Yeah."

"And the auction started at 9am."

"Yep."

"Except the incident took place in the city centre, which is at least ten minutes from the auction house. Taking the New York City traffic into account, surely you should have left much earlier than you did in order to get there on time? You only had six minutes to get there from where you were? Seems unlikely you'd have gotten there in time even without the incident taking place." Jace stated.

"Really? That's your argument?" Magnus said.

"I've been to loads of those auctions, they never start on time." Mr Phillips said.

"And yet, auction records showed the first item was sold at 9.01am. I think you were running late out of your own carelessness. I think you were speeding. I think you ran a red light and caused the accident considering I've known this man, my client, for years and could personally vouch for his driving skill in any court room, any day, any time." Jace argued.

"Bullshit." Mr Phillips spat.

"Is that so? Because the CCTV we pulled up certainly isn't." Jace smirked.

Geoff's eyes lit up as Magnus and Mr Phillips' faces dropped.

"…What CCTV?" Mr Phillips asked coldly.

"Oh, the one of a lady slipping on a puddle in a McDonalds, _what do you think_?" Jace asked.

"My client has the right to-" Magnus began. Mr Phillips stood up.

"IT WAS ONE RED LIGHT. I…I should've been able to get there."

Magnus sighed as Jace grinned. "Got ya."

"You think that if there was CCTV I wouldn't have seen it?" Magnus asked Mr Phillips with annoyance all over his face. Mr Phillips slowly sat back down with a sigh.

"Well, I've had a wonderful time. That certainly throws out the majority of the claim against my client, except the damages. Though I do believe we would be able to provide plenty of witnesses supporting my client's driving ability and combined with this recording I think we can easily make a case that it the accident was your fault and your fault alone. You lost out on your auction out of carelessness and thought 'I know, I'll sue an innocent, decent human being to make a quick buck instead'. What's to stop my client taking _you_ to court now?" Jace exclaimed proudly.

Magnus sighed and turned to his client. "Sign what he wants you to sign unless you fancy a trip to prison."

Jace smiled again and turned to Alec. As he did so, his expression dropped. Alec quickly left the room without glancing back at anyone.

…

Jace sat in his office later that day when Alec tentatively walked in. "Hey."

Jace looked up. "Hey. Geoff said to say thanks. He's over the moon he got a bit of compensation from Phillips. Thanks for your help in the deposition, you really stepped up."

"I'm sorry, okay? I…I'm just tired." Alec said as he closed the office door.

"So you think I didn't see you become less vocal than a mime as soon as Magnus Bane walked through the door?" Jace asked.

"…What? That's ridiculous."

"You like guys, Alec. It's not a big deal." Jace said.

Alec froze. "What…I, I'm sorry?"

"You may hate to admit it but I _know_ you. It's okay."

Alec said nothing as he sat down at the chair opposite Jace at his desk. "…How long have you known?"

"A good few years, probably."

"And you never told anyone?"

"Of course not! It's not for me to tell. Robert and Maryse don't seem to know, if that's what you're worried about. You shouldn't be though." Jace said softly.

"…They'd look at me differently."

"Alec, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Seriously." Jace said. Alec could see the sincerity on Jace's face.

"…I'd forgotten how well you knew me." Alec said, almost as a whisper.

"I hadn't." Jace smiled lightly.

Silence for a moment.

"…Thanks. For not telling anyone." Alec said.

"Don't even mention it." Jace nodded. "…So, _is_ something happening with Magnus?"

Alec chuckled lightly. "No, not really. I ran into him at a club, we talked for a bit, we text every now and then. It's all friendly stuff, not flirty or anything. I just…he's interesting. But he works for our biggest rival. Nothing's gonna happen there."

"Nothing's going on and yet you were shaking like a branch in the wind before he'd even got here?"

"…I was nervous for Geoff."

"Okay. Sure."

Jace and Alec shared a smile and a laugh.

"Well, that's good that there's nothing going on." Jace nodded. "I'd hate for you to be accused of working with the enemy and all."

Alec saw the hurt in Jace's face as he spoke. "…You really _were_ framed, weren't you?"

Jace smiled. "Sorry, was I not giving off that impression?"

"But how?" Alec asked.

"I'm still trying to work that bit out."

Silence again. Alec looked down for a while and when he looked back up Jace was surprised to see tears in Alec's eyes. "Jace, I…I'm really sorry."

"Alec…"

"No, I really mean it. Above all else I should've been your friend but I haven't been. If I'd been alone in that deposition today got knows what would've gone down. You…you really do deserve to be where you are." Alec said meaningfully.

"…And I shouldn't have been an asshole to you when you needed me. But I had your back in there today, and I promise I'll have your back no matter what from now on. I…I'm sorry too." Jace said.

Alec smirked through his teary eyes. "Wow, that must have been hard for you to say."

"You have no idea." Jace laughed.

"…Do you think…do you think we can ever be friends again?"

"We already are. Now put those tears back in your eyes where they belong." Jace smirked as Alec laughed and wiped his eyes. "…And give me a hug."

Alec smiled again as he stood up and walked around the desk, hugging Jace tightly. Jace wrapped his arms around Alec with the happiest look on his face he'd ever given.

Watching the two men hug from her desk with a warm smile on her face, Jocelyn picked up the phone to tell Robert, Maryse and Luke the good news. Things might just turn out okay after all.


	9. What Another Man Spills

Jace looked on in confusion as he walked up to Simon's cubicle and found it empty. He turned to Clary in the next cubicle. "Where is he?"

"Bathroom." Clary clarified.

"Guess I'll wait then." Jace sighed, taking a seat at Simon's desk and looking around amusedly. "Would it bother him if I switched some of this stuff around?"

"Definitely." Clary said.

With that, Jace began swapping around various items on Simon's desk as Clary laughed. She looked at him inquisitively. "Does this bring back memories? Being sat in a cubicle?"

"Yeah, one time I passed out in a club toilet and -"

"-You _know_ what I mean." Clary smiled.

Jace grinned like an excited child. "You're no fun."

"I just have a more advanced sense of humour." Clary smirked.

"…If you must know, then yeah, it does bring back memories. Feels like a long time ago since I worked like this yet at the same time it feels like yesterday." Jace admitted.

"It feels like an eternity to me." Clary sighed.

"You'll be in your own office before you know it." Jace smiled sweetly. "You can take the office next to mine so I can keep annoying you at regular intervals."

Clary giggled. "That…actually doesn't sound _so_ bad. And I'd be annoying you right back."

"I've yet to discover anything about you that's annoying, so good luck with that." Jace said and looked at the floor for a moment (and was that a blush forming across his cheeks?).

"…I like this Jace." Clary smiled.

Jace looked at Clary again, confused. "What do you mean?"

"When you take away the humour and wit, you're actually a somewhat decent human being. The kind of guy who might raise an employee's salary out of the kindness of his heart." Clary blushed.

"I told you, you deserved that."

"I know, but I just want to keep letting you know how grateful I am. It was…it was a really sweet thing to do."

"…You must be rubbing off on me then." Jace said, looking at the floor again as he ran his hand through his hair. Clary saw Simon approaching and turned back to her computer, unable to keep the beaming smile off her face.

Simon smirked as he saw Jace sat in his cubicle. "Are we swapping jobs?"

"Since I'd prefer it if the firm lasted longer than a few hours before going bust, no we are not. We're meeting a potential client for lunch so get your crap together so we can go. Isabelle's waiting for us downstairs."

"…I-Isabelle's coming too?" Simon asked.

"No, I just thought I'd bring her up; she's actually waiting for an ice cream van to appear. Of course she's coming. Do you think you'll be able to cope with being sat at a table with her?" Jace mocked.

"I'll have you know I _have_ sat at a table with her!" Simon stated defensively.

"In all fairness, you ended up face-planting and smashing your glasses in front of her." Clary added. Simon sighed as a huge grin brightened Jace's face.

"Thanks, Clary." Simon groaned.

"Yeah, thanks Clary!" Jace laughed.

…

"So what're thinking of doing for Clary's birthday?" Luke asked as he leant back in his desk chair. Jocelyn was sat up on the desk next to him filing her nails; Jace being out of office allowed her to give herself a short amount of time off.

"She's adamant she doesn't want to be made a spectacle of. She just wants a quiet dinner with me, you and possibly Simon and Isabelle." Jocelyn explained.

"I understand how she knows Simon well by now, but I didn't realise she and Isabelle were that close?" Luke wondered.

"Neither did I, but apparently they got to talking recently. I can't believe I have a twenty-three year old daughter as of next week. That makes me feel so old." Jocelyn rolled her eyes.

"All that means is you've never been wiser." Luke smiled.

"It's very sweet of you to come out with crap like that for me."

"It makes me feel old, too. I remember holding her for the first time the day you came home from hospital. Tiny little thing and now look at how far she's come. Who'd have thought we'd all be working in the same place one day?" Luke reminisced happily.

"I know. I get to work with my two favourite people in the world every day." Jocelyn smiled, playfully nudging Luke with her heel.

The door burst open and Robert stood there, out of breath and his face red with anger.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, growing serious as Jocelyn stood up from his desk.

"Valentine. It's always bloody Valentine. He's taken one of our clients." Robert seethed.

"What? Who?" Luke wondered.

"Carlton Electronics. That son of a bitch. They said he made them an offer they simply couldn't refuse and fired us. SEVEN YEARS they've been with us!" Robert growled.

"Okay, let's just relax and not get worked up over this." Luke asserted.

"No! I'm not letting that bastard get away with taking _another_ client. It's hardly the first time this has happened, Lucian."

"Have you spoken to Maryse?" Jocelyn interjected.

"She's in a meeting. I…I can't believe he's done this to us AGAIN!" Robert shouted, slamming the office door shut as hard as he could as he rushed out and into his office. There was another loud slam as he shut his own office door.

Luke let out a deep sigh and put his head in his hands. "Well, shit."

"I should go check on him, you know how he gets with Valentine." Jocelyn said calmly, heading out and walking tentatively into Robert and Maryse's office. Robert was sat at his desk tapping his fingers aggressively on the wooden surface.

It was silent for a while before Jocelyn spoke. "If you keep doing that you'll wear away the gloss."

"This isn't funny, Jocelyn." Robert groaned.

"I know it's not. But it's done. He's just trying to get to you – to all of us – and we simply can't let him." Jocelyn said softly.

Robert was silent for a while, contemplating his thoughts as Jocelyn gingerly made her way to his desk and sat in the chair opposite him.

"Do you ever wish we could go back to the good old days? Before all of this?" Robert asked.

"No." Jocelyn stated without hesitation.

"Why?"

"Everything happens for a reason. If I went back I wouldn't have a great job. I wouldn't have gotten Valentine out of my day-to-day life. I wouldn't have a beautiful daughter. You can't let one bad man take away from the hundreds of good things in your life. Valentine is poison; we're lucky we all saw his true colours when we did. If we hadn't, his name would've been next to yours and Luke's on the front of this building and he'd have found a way to screw us all over even more." Jocelyn explained.

"…He just…he doesn't take clients because he needs them. He takes them because he can."

"I know. He was never our friend, Robert; that was all part of his game." Jocelyn said.

"If you hadn't have found out about the shady clients he was going to line up for us…who knows where we'd be right now." Robert said.

"Prison, probably."

"I guess. I can't believe I still let him get to me after all this time. I used to worship the ground he walked on, thought he was the best goddamn lawyer there ever was."

"We all thought that. You can't keep blaming yourself."

"Every time I see him, in person or in a journal, every time I see his name printed somewhere, every time something reminds me of him, I…it drives me insane. I just…I get _so_ angry." Robert sighed.

"That's what betrayal does. Broken trust does to a person what dropping a china plate on the floor would do. You can put everything back together, but the cracks are still there. It'll never be truly fixed. He enjoys messing with us; we just need to enjoy not letting him. There'll be new, bigger and better clients. We'll show him. One day."

Jocelyn supportively reached over and squeezed Robert's hand before making her way out. She stopped and turned at the doorway. "You gonna be okay?"

Robert smiled. "Always."

Jocelyn returned the smile and headed out. The smile left Robert's face instantly. He sat back in his chair and licked his lips; he'd barely noticed how dry they were. Just a drop or two would do it.

He pulled the hip flask out from his desk drawer and took a swig. As the warmth ran through him, he already started to feel a bit better.

…

Alec wasn't expecting to spend his lunch break in a cab heading to Magnus Bane's apartment.

He was surprised enough by a text from Magnus at all; it had been a few days since they'd conversed. However, before he knew it he'd been invited over for a drink since Magnus had just celebrated closing a huge deal for Morgenstern Starkweather, though why of all people he'd want to celebrate with someone who worked at his rival firm was another matter.

Even Magnus' invitation wasn't what surprised Alec the most, it was the fact that he'd said yes. Sure, Jace and Isabelle were out for lunch anyway so he didn't exactly have anyone to eat with, but he'd only seen Magnus in person a few times and now he was heading to his apartment.

An awful thought filled Alec's head. What is this was all a cruel prank? What if the address Magnus had text him wasn't where he really lived? What if this was all a set up to humiliate him?

Before Alec had much of a chance to consider the scary new thoughts, the cab arrived outside an elegant looking apartment building. Alec tipped the driver and stepped out, immediately hit with a surprisingly lovely scent coming from an open window a few floors up. Based on what the text had said Alec was almost certain said window was Magnus' apartment. Magnus certainly had a way of constantly surprising him.

He climbed up the steps and pressed the buzzer marked 'Bane'. Almost instantly a loud click sounded as the front door unlocked, allowing Alec inside to climb up the stairs. He felt a mixture of reluctance and something else as he approached Magnus' door. Reluctance and…what was it? Alec was scared it was nervousness. He was terrified it was excitement.

He knocked on the door gently and found himself adjusting his hair and the tie of his suit. He'd barely noticed he'd made the alterations to himself. Magnus quickly opened the door, his inviting eyes beaming and a delectable smile across his face. He was dressed in his own unique satin suit, minus the jacket and tie. He'd also taken off his shoes to reveal some velvet green socks patterned to look like the skin of a snake.

"Alexander! Come on in. Thanks for coming." Magnus purred.

Alec tentatively stepped in and looked around. There was clearly some sort of theme running through the apartment, despite there being so many different colours and styles making up the place. Alec couldn't quite put his finger on what Magnus was going for with his decoration, but he knew he liked it. Quite a lot. "Thanks for inviting me. You spared me from eating alone."

"Now I'm even happier I did. No one should dine alone; why waste any opportunity for extravagance? I have made a few nibbles to go with the champagne. Don't worry, I'll let you only have one this time. I know you have to go back to work after this." Magnus announced proudly as he made his way into his kitchen. "Make yourself at home!"

Alec never liked being told that; it made him feel even more aware that he was a guest in someone's abode. How do you play it? Do you act like you own the place and come across as rude or do you be exceptionally polite and respectful and come across as awkward. Why did he care so much about what Magnus thought?

"I, uh…I could smell it from outside. Smells delicious." Alec called into the kitchen as he sat down on the silvery couch, which was quite possibly the comfiest thing he'd ever sat on.

"I'm glad you think so! I hope it tastes just as good." Magnus called back.

Alec took off his jacket in fear of getting too hot and placed it, neatly folded, by his side. The couch was long enough to fit four people – easily – and left Alec wondering if Magnus had ever wandered in early in the morning and drunkenly passed out on it. He smiled at the thought.

Before long, Magnus returned with two long silver trays filled with extravagant looking delicacies. Alec could see a whole host of different cultures within Magnus' food. It was quite the spectacle to behold.

"Woah. This looks incredible." Alec noted.

Magnus smiled. "I'm glad you think so. Feel free to tuck in."

"I almost feel bad for ruining it. This is practically art." Alec smirked as Magnus grabbed a bottle of champagne from the kitchen and brought it back to the couch with two glasses, delicately pouring two glasses. Alec tentatively picked up what looked like some sort of pastry filled with an orange paste and took a bite. "Wow, is that mango?"

"It is. Impressive." Magnus grinned. "You'd think the flavours wouldn't work, but-"

"-They really do. Wow."

"I can…I can always give you the recipe for it? If you'd like?" Magnus suggested openly.

Alec looked at him and smiled sweetly. "I'd like that. Thank you."

Magnus picked up his glass of champagne, leading Alec to do the same. They gently tapped glasses and took a sip. Alec's face lit up, causing Magnus to chuckle lightly. "It's good, isn't it? I get it shipped here."

"That's the best thing I've ever tasted." Alec smiled.

"…Give it time." Magnus purred. Alec looked away and back at the trays of food, hoping he didn't look as hot as he was suddenly feeling. This was a somewhat new experience for him.

Magnus shuffled forward on the couch slightly, almost as if he were nervous. "I appreciate you must have found it strange that I invited you over. Especially to celebrate a big win for the firm you work against."

"Uh, yeah, I…I did think it was weird. But I'm glad I came. I had fun when we last hang out." Alec nodded.

"As did I." Magnus smiled. "I guess, I…well…I just wanted to see you again. Without any texting."

Alec looked at Magnus and saw something in his eyes, a sort of shine, that for some reason left him feeling flustered. Or perhaps it was just the champagne?

"Alexander, I…I know this will sound strange considering the reason I gave for inviting you here, but I just wanted this to be between two…friends. No discussions or even hints about our working lives." Magnus admitted.

"I understand. You can't really have a good time with tension in the air." Alec said.

"Depends on the kind of tension." Magnus said softly as a leaf blowing in the wind. He shuffled slightly closer to Alec, who held his breath. "Alexander, I really did enjoy your company the other week and…I've enjoyed our conversations, albeit only via text. I don't tend to gel well with people, and yet I've been overcome with a yearning to get to know you."

"…I guess I know what you mean. I…I don't have a lot of friends." Alec admitted shyly.

"Which says a lot about the people you _do_ let in?" Magnus inquired.

"Uh…yeah. I guess so." Alec's chest was tight and the heat he was feeling wasn't going away.

"Alec…" Magnus reached across the sofa and placed his hand over Alec's. Magnus' skin was delightfully soft and inviting, though Alec didn't move a muscle. "…I don't know what it is, but I'm…I'm fascinated by you. There's just something about you that I feel an ache to discover. I…I think about you all the time."

Alec finally realised if this conversation were to continue he'd need to start breathing again. "…Magnus…I don't…I'm not…"

"You don't have to lie to me, Alexander. I know what you've said, but lying about who you are holds you back from an overwhelming amount of happiness. Believe me, I know." Magnus said. The vulnerability in his voice was something Alec had never heard from him before, and it intrigued him beyond comprehension. "There's something here, Alec. I know there is. I…I _know_ you feel how I feel. Please just tell me I'm not crazy."

Alec couldn't find any words as he continued to stare into Magnus' eyes. He pulled his hand away from Magnus and stood up, grabbing his jacket. "…I…I should go."

He headed for the door and found Magnus grabbing his arm just as he reached for the handle. "Magnus…please…you're wrong about me. About _this_."

"Then just say that to my face. Make me believe you." Magnus pleaded.

The sheer desperation and need in his voice – a desperation for him – made Alec's heart beat faster than he'd ever know it to. He was so used to seeing people be interested in Jace or Isabelle…but never him. This was new. Was this how it always felt, or was that just Magnus Bane? And why did he want to find out more than he'd wanted anything in his life, even more than a bloody promotion. That seemed so irrelevant now there was someone stood before him who wanted him. _Really_ wanted him.

Alec tried to muster something. "I…I don't…"

He _really_ looked at Magnus for a moment. The interesting way he'd styled his hair, those ever so inviting eyes, his cheekbones, his caramel skin, the way his shirt fit that showed off a very impressive physique…he'd been so used to pushing people away he'd forgotten what it was like to actually take someone in for all they were. In that moment, he took in all of Magnus Bane. And he realised he thought Magnus Bane was _beautiful_.

Alec grabbed Magnus' shirt, pulled him close and sent their lips crashing together. He felt a sharp burst of pain as his back hit the wooden door, but any pain faded with the taste of Magnus' mouth and the feeling of Magnus' hand running through his hair and down his neck. There was a moan as their tongues met, but neither could tell for certain which of them had made the sound.

Alec felt for the buttons on Magnus' shirt and undid them one by one before tearing the shirt from Magnus' body and letting it fall to the floor. His hands felt the muscles of Magnus' back all the way round to his six pack and up to his large biceps, which instinctively wrapped around him as they both fell onto the couch.

Alec was lost in Magnus. He was lost in a maze he didn't want to find a way out of. In that moment, he wasn't Alec Lightwood, the man desperate to climb the ladder and impress his parents. He was Alec Lightwood. The _real_ Alec Lightwood. It was a sweet pain to finally let him show.

He came close to resenting Magnus in the moment he reached for his own shirt buttons when it sent him crashing back down to reality. If he let the mask fall off for too long he'd never be able to hide behind it again. He wasn't ready for that. He didn't know if he ever would be.

He pushed Magnus' hand away and sat up, gasping for breath. "I…I can't do this…I'm sorry, we shouldn't have…you shouldn't have-"

"Alec, it's okay, we can-"

"-NO. I…I'm not like this. I can't be like this. With you. I'm not…I'm _not_." Alec stated, his eyes burning as he picked his jacket back up and ran out of Magnus' apartment and then the building, ignoring Magnus' pleas shouting out after him.

…

"I'm _thrilled_ that you'll be joining us. On behalf of all of us at Lightwood Garroway we can't wait to get to know you better, Mr Vickers." Isabelle purred as she shook the hand of a young, well-dressed man across the table.

"Good day to you, Miss Lightwood. And two both of you gentlemen." Mr Vickers smiled, looking at Simon and then at Jace in turn for a brief period of time before turning and heading off and out of the restaurant they were sat in.

Isabelle sat back down at the table with Jace and Simon with a satisfied grin. "That's how it's done, boys."

"Yeah, you real smooth talker, you." Jace smirked.

"I'm the best at what I do. I saw him making eyes in my direction and so I played to the man. Now we have a new client." Isabelle smiled.

"I don't think he was interested in you, Iz." Jace said.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Isabelle questioned.

"Because he slipped his number under my glass while you were in the bathroom." Jace smirked, pulling a slip of paper out from under his glass as Simon held back laughter.

"Lucky escape in that case, going by his taste." Isabelle rolled her eyes as Jace chuckled then handed the slip of paper to Simon.

"Why would I want that?" Simon asked.

"I'm guessing it's been a while for you. Might wanna widen out your options." Jace smirked.

Simon threw the paper back in Jace's direction. "You're an asshole."

"Ignore him, Simon." Isabelle smiled, looking around before her face dropped. "Oh, crap. Devil Wears Prada's here."

"And I was having such a nice day." Jace sighed.

Simon went to ask who they were referring to until he saw a stunningly beautiful woman heading towards them in a long red dress with eyes like fire and lust. She arrived at the table and placed her clutch bag down as she took a seat in the now empty chair. "I thought he'd never leave. It would have been rude to interrupt your meeting. It looked like it went well?"

"What do you want, Satan's Spawn?" Jace asked.

The woman gave an amused huff. "Raphael told me about your new toy, Jace. I wanted to see him for myself. I'm Camille Belcourt, of Santiago Belcourt, of course."

Camille held her hand out for Simon, who stared at it nervously.

Camille laughed. "I won't bite. Promise."

Simon tentatively shook her hand. "Simon Lewis."

"It can't be a coincidence that you only seem to employ handsome men at your firm, is it Isabelle?" Camille asked.

"It can't be a coincidence that you just happen to be at the restaurant where we had a meeting, either." Isabelle retaliated.

Camille smirked. "You always were my favourite Lightwood. Such fire in your belly. Mr Vickers met with our firm last week and declined our services in hopes of securing _you_. We've been keeping tabs on bookings in all the local restaurants and when we stumbled across one under the name of Lightwood AND Wayland we knew we'd hit the jackpot. Congratulations."

"Bit weird, that." Jace noted.

"Just keeping ourselves in the game." Camille said.

"Please, you've never been in the game." Isabelle growled.

"In that case, it's only a matter of time before out beginner's luck kicks in. It only takes a roll of a dice to change the game completely. You better batten down the hatches because before you know it your precious firm and Morgenstern Starkweather will be nothing but ashes upon which Raphael and I build an empire. Everyone loves an underdog story." Camille said with a distasteful smoothness, standing up and picking up her bag. She looked down at Simon again. "Nice meeting you, Cheekbones."

Not even addressing Jace and Isabelle, Camille turned away and slithered out.

"…She seems nice." Simon said.

"Trust no bitch, Simon, but especially not Camille Belcourt." Isabelle warned.

…

Alec jumped at the sound of a knock on his office door. He looked up and saw Jace stood there with a concerned expression on your face. "You okay? I tried calling you."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. My phone's off." Alec said.

"Avoiding someone?" Jace looked interested.

"…No. Course not." Alec shrugged.

"Well, I don't believe you but I won't delve into it since the list of people you ignore is almost endless." Jace smirked and Alec allowed himself to briefly chuckle. "Do you know Clary all that well?"

"The girl next to Simon on 35?" Alec asked.

"Yeah."

"Not really. I couldn't even tell you Simon's surname off the top of my head, more like anything about Clary. Why?" Alec wondered.

"Well, uh…it's her birthday next week and I just thought I might get her something." Jace said, running his hand through his hair.

Alec's face lit up. "You just did the hair thing."

"What hair thing?"

"You run your hand through your hair when you're nervous. Does the almighty Jace Wayland have a crush on Simon's buddy?" Alec smiled.

" _Please_. She's just…helped me out a lot lately, that's all." Jace muttered.

"Helped you out, has she?" Alec raised his eyebrows.

"Stop it. Forget I asked. It's not like you're ever gonna be an expert on women, anyway." Jace said and instantly froze. "That came out harsher than I intended it, sorry."

"It's okay. You're hardly wrong, are you?" Alec sighed, looking at his phone, still turned off whilst lying on his desk.

"…Anything you wanna talk about? You look a bit shaken up." Jace asked, concerned.

"…No, I'm just tired." Alec lied.

"…Okay. Well it is late so how about we grab Izzy and get a drink?" Jace suggested.

"You mean how about we grab Izzy so you can both force me to get a drink with you?"

"Exactly. Come on, Alexander." Jace chuckled.

"Don't call me Alexander, okay? Just…just don't. Please." Alec said quietly.

Jace looked confused. "I thought you didn't mind that?"

Alec looked at his phone again. "I've gone off it."


	10. Balloons All Filled With Rain

Isabelle finished examining herself via the reflection in her computer monitor in her office, having concluded she looked flawless as always. She looked to her side, where a neatly wrapped present with pink paper and silver ribbons lay gleaming in the sunlight. She smiled at the thought of giving it to Clary later that day. It felt good to be able to celebrate someone's birthday that you actually liked instead of sucking up to some snobbish client at a huge party. Isabelle was strangely looking forward to a quiet night in with a few people and eating dinner together. As much as she often loved going out partying, staying in and having a laugh with loved ones wasn't to be looked down upon.

Standing up and heading out to check on Alec (he hadn't been very talkative over the last week and he barely spoke usually), Isabelle stopped at the sound of the elevator doors opening. Simon was stood there, eyes closed and subtly dancing and bobbing his head as he listened to some music through his earphones. She chuckled at the sight as he stepped out of the elevator, saw her stood there, and exaggerated his dancing further as he approached her.

"You're a dork." Isabelle laughed as Simon reached her and took out his earphones.

He smiled. "What else is new?"

"Does Jace wanna see you or are you after last minute present ideas for Clary?"

"I'll have you know, I'm all good to go for birthday celebrations; Jace wanted to see me. You still coming tonight then?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, I just…I don't really picture you going to birthday parties." Simon admitted shyly.

"Of course I go! I used to wear a princess dress to every birthday party I ever had or ever went to when I was little. I always overshadowed the birthday girl, naturally." Isabelle smirked.

Simon chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything less. Hell, I'll be there tonight and I'm the coolest guy in the world so of course you'll be going."

Isabelle laughed and shook her head at Simon's cheeky schoolboy smile; she loved that he'd gotten much more confident around her. "Yes, you're the sole reason I'm going. Go and talk to Jace, moron."

Isabelle turned and headed towards Alec's office, looking briefly back at Simon as she went. Simon watched her go with a smile before heading to Jace's office, walking in and seeing Jace sat at his desk with his head in his hands. "Jace, what's up?"

Simon panicked. Had someone found out his secret? Was he going to jail? Was the firm being sued? Had someone been in an accident? Was Jace dying? It had to be important to him for him to look so agitated and broken.

Jace sat up straight. "I can't think of a single bloody thing to get Clary!"

Simon froze for a moment, bemused. "…You're getting her a birthday present?"

"No, I'm just pretending to and wasting your time." Jace rolled his eyes.

"Sarcasm not appreciated." Simon noted.

"What did you get her?"

"A crap load of art supplies. She used to paint and draw all the time when she was younger and she's starting to really get back into it." Simon answered.

"Does she like jewellery? It'd just be weird if I asked Jocelyn all about her daughter's interests. She liked the flowers I got her that time, should I get her some more flowers?" Jace asked.

"Flowers… _just_ flowers?" Simon questioned.

"You're as useful as a blind optician, you know that?"

"I do now. Why are you so worked up over this?"

"…I'm not! Ugh, never mind. I've got a case to win in court in a few hours so just get back to work. I'll think of something for Clary on my own." Jace grumbled.

Simon stood at him, staring with a smile. "You _so_ like her."

"Get out, Potter."

…

"There's the birthday girl! Happy birthday!" Simon smiled as he walked up to his cubicle and saw Clary sat in her own one next to it.

"Thank you! I feel old." Clary sighed, smiling nonetheless.

"Well, you _are_ old." Simon smirked.

"Shut up."

"Looking forward to tonight?" Simon asked as he sat down and laid his things out on his desk.

"Yes! I can't wait. I love just having some quiet time with the people I love most. I hope you won't be uncomfortable with Luke being there; I know he's the big boss and all but he's such a sweet man. I've grown up with him always there for me and my mom." Clary explained.

"He's always been nice to me, so it should be fine. If anything, Jace is the only superior who gets on my nerves." Simon chuckled.

"…Speaking of Jace…do you think I should invite him over tonight? Or would that be weird?" Clary asked tentatively.

"Why would it be weird? You two get along, right?"

"Yeah, but…I don't know. I'm not sure why I can't make up my mind. I doubt he'd even want to come." Clary shrugged.

"I'm sure he would." Simon smiled to himself.

"I can always text him later. Well, get you to text him. I don't have his number. Not that I _want_ his number, just…you know." Clary stammered.

"…Yeah. Sure." Simon grinned at Clary.

"Stop it! Besides, are you gonna be able to handle Isabelle tonight? You haven't seen the dress she's bought. Wow." Clary said.

"Look, I can handle anything she throws at me now. She likes being a tease but I've gotten over it. There's nothing Isabelle Lightwood can do to surprise me now." Simon stated.

"We'll see." Clary smiled. The elevator doors opened and Jocelyn walked out with another woman following behind her. She waved at Clary with a big grin before stopping to talk to the other woman. "Ah, that must be the new girl. Sandy's gone on maternity leave so they brought in someone to replace her while she's away. You're no longer the newbie on Floor 35, congratulations."

"Thanks, I guess. So she's just a new paralegal?" Simon wondered.

"Yeah. Can't remember her name. Maisie? May?" Clary speculated. Jocelyn moved forward, giving Simon and Clary a good glimpse at the new employee.

Simon's heart stopped.

He recognised her instantly. He'd spoken to her countless numbers of times about working in law and his dream of being a lawyer someday. She had been a great friend. She was supportive and kind. She hadn't seen him for a good year. She'd know there's no way he'd have legally gotten to the position he was currently. She was Jordan's ex. She was Maia Roberts.

Simon ducked down behind his desk and prayed he could just disappear and wake up from this nightmare.

…

Simon took it upon himself to take an early lunch and cycled home as quickly as he could. He ran up the stairs and through the apartment door. "Jordan!"

Jordan was sat on the couch eating toast as he watched TV. "What're you doing back?"

"We have a problem." Simon panted.

"…We? What's wrong?" Jordan asked, standing up.

"They hired a new paralegal at the firm. Maia."

Jordan's jaw dropped as his toast fell to the floor. "Holy shit. Did she see you?"

"I don't think so. If she finds out I work there she'd gonna know I couldn't have possibly gotten the qualifications I need! This could be game over! I thought you two broke up because she moved to another state to work?" Simon wondered through his panic.

"We did! Why the hell is she back here? I…okay, what did Jace say to do?" Jordan asked.

"He's stuck in court, I can't get hold of him." Simon said, shaking as he sat down on the couch. "I can't believe this is happening. I'm gonna go to jail. I actually thought it'd be okay after Jace and I patched things up."

Jordan sat back down next to Simon and put an arm around him. "It's gonna be okay, dude. We'll…we'll work something out. I swear."

The two looked up when there was a knock on the door. Jordan got up and quickly answered it, his face dropping and his body tensing as he opened the door.

"…Hi Jordan." Maia said calmly. "I'm here to see Simon."

Maia pushed past Jordan and into the living room, where Simon stood up at the sight of her. "Maia?"

"Hey, Si. It's been a while. How've you been?"

"…Maia…I…"

"I actually started a new job today. I took leave from my job to fill in for an old school friend at Lightwood Garroway for a month or two. She's just gone on maternity leave, you see, and I happily said I'd continue earning income on her behalf since she's raising the kid alone since we're old friends so arranged an online meeting with everyone I needed to so I could get the arrangements in place. So I walk in today and who is one of the first people I see but you, cowering behind a desk. Then I ask around and – crazy as it sounds – you're an associate? That's gotta be some sort of record, getting a law degree so quickly." Maia was furious. It was a side to her neither Simon nor Jordan had ever seen before.

"Maia, listen, things got complicated so quickly and…I know I'm in a mess but…" Simon began.

"Don't! I don't care how you got the job, I care that you _have_ the job! You're breaking the law, you're better than this! We talked about law school and everything!" Maia shouted.

"I didn't have the funds and it was my dream, you know that!" Simon protested.

"That doesn't mean you can do this! If anyone finds out you're in jail for god knows how long!" Maia exclaimed.

"Maia, please. You have to understand. I never wanted it to go this far." Simon pleaded. "You know what I'm like. You know I would never do this maliciously."

Maia couldn't summon any words.

"Maia, we know this is a mad, crazy situation and we accept that. I never should have let him go through with it, so it's on both of us. But we have to make the best of it or else I lose my best friend or even go to jail myself. I don't want to emotionally blackmail you, mainly because I know it probably wouldn't work, but you need to know that this is a huge burden. And Simon is freaking amazing at this job, just like you always were. You both have that talent; it's why I was so glad you two got along when we first got together." Jordan expressed passionately. "I know this all may sound just like words and ramblings, and I would never ask you to understand or accept this. You have every right to tell someone. But I'm begging you to let this pass for the few months you're here. If for no other reason than to make sure you're not caught up in any of this. You know how much Si wanted this. It's not about the money or the power, it's about the dream."

Maia looked deep into Jordan's eyes for a long while and then back to Simon. "…I have no idea how to feel right now. Uh…okay…okay…look. I can't ever agree with what you've done…and I know it's been a while but I still deeply care for you both. I may not know how to process this but…I know I don't want you two to get in trouble. I definitely know I would never want to be the one who _got_ you in trouble."

Silence for a while.

"…I'll keep it to myself. But I can't accept it." Maia said almost silently.

Simon nodded appreciatively, overcome with relief. "I understand. Thank you."

"You have no idea how much this means." Jordan said.

"Let's just…keep off each other's radars. At least for now. Give me time to breathe." Maia said. Simon and Jordan said nothing more. Maia stood in silence for a while before heading towards the door, turning back as she reached it. "…I-It's really good to see you guys."

"…Yeah. You too." Jordan smiled, his eyes bright. Maia smiled back and gave a little wave towards him before slowly heading out.

Simon fell back onto the couch, his hand over his mouth. Jordan sat back down next to him.

"…You never told me that." Simon whispered.

"What?"

"…About you sharing the guilt. None of this is on you." Simon said.

"Yes it is. That's what friends do." Jordan said firmly.

"…If this ever goes wrong, I…I just need you to know…I would _never_ bring you into it. I swear." Simon vowed. "…I…I don't think I'd ever really considered how much this affects the people around me. Telling the truth could destroy any one of them. What…what does that say about me?"

Jordan gave a small, sweet smile and put a hand on Simon's shoulder. "Ironically, that you're innocent."

…

Simon was relieved to see Jace sat in his office when he returned to work and headed straight in. "Thank God you're back, so listen…there's this new girl working here called Maia and we've known each other a while and she knows the truth about me but I promise you so won't say a word and she's only here for a few months at most so yeah, okay, I'm rambling. Sorry."

"…Uh, okay." Jace shrugged mildly.

Simon knew instantly something was wrong. "What is it?"

"…I lost."

"Lost what? Your dignity? Don't worry, I lost mine a while ago." Simon laughed.

"…In court. I lost in court today."

"Oh. Crap. H-How?" Simon asked.

"I just…I wasn't focused. I was stuttering, handing the wrong evidence around at the wrong time…I guess I confused the jury so much they gave it to the other guys. I can't believe I was so stupid. The client got a fine and I'm gonna give him the money for it but…I've never lost until today." Jace admitted sadly.

"…Well, you know, you can't win them all." Simon offered.

"…I spent the whole goddamn session racking my brain for ideas for Clary's bloody birthday present instead of keeping my head in the game. That's NEVER happened before. Ever. I'm so angry with myself. How could I do this?"

"…You know, it's not a bad thing to be reminded that you're only human." Simon noted.

Jace's face was unreadable. "…I'm usually brilliant at keeping personal and professional things separate. Scarily brilliant. Coldly brilliant."

Simon smiled slightly. "But then you meet the girl you always want to carry with you."

Jace and Simon shared a look, but its meaning went unsaid. Jace smiled for the first time in what felt like years after the day he'd had. "Simon Lewis, you may have actually given me an idea."

…

"These are _adorable_! Where did you even get them?" Clary squealed excitedly as she observed some candles in the centre of the table sculpted to resemble roses.

Luke, who was laying out the cutlery on the table, simply smiled. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

"I just…I can't thank you guys enough for this. How did you make my crappy apartment look so good?" Clary wondered, looking around. Balloons, fairy lights and all kinds of decorations had been placed all over the apartment and made it look a far cry from the glum, cheap mess the place looked that morning. Jocelyn and Luke had taken a half day (and 'borrowed' Clary's keys) to sneak into the apartment and get it ready for the night's celebrations.

"We make a very good team, obviously." Jocelyn smiled, placing a hand warmly on Luke's shoulder. They shared a look that Clary had seen them unknowingly share many times over the years and held back a smile.

"And I can barely change a plug." Simon observed as he sat on a nearby sofa taking in the decorations. He'd placed Clary's gifts on a table specifically laid out for presents in the hallway and was instantly greeted with a glass of champagne from Clary (Luke had brought the most expensive one he could find).

"I feel bad for your future wife." Clary laughed. At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Ooh, that'll be Isabelle!"

Clary hurried off to answer the door. Simon felt uneasy to be left alone with Jocelyn and Luke, despite them still busy setting the table up. He was a grown man yet still felt like a small child in their company. Plus, Clary had decided against inviting Jace (or, as Simon assumed, got cold feet) and that meant the only person he knew really well was Clary. Well, Clary and maybe –

Isabelle.

Her hair had never looked so silky smooth as it ran down her shoulders and onto her deep pink cocktail dress, partially open at the front so only to tease and perfectly fitted to her figure like a swimsuit. Or, as Simon saw it, like a catsuit. He'd been reading too many Batman comics lately. Clary hadn't lied about Isabelle's dress choice earlier; she'd surpassed the high standard of beauty that she herself hat set in the first place.

It was only when he felt a slight dampness on his crotch that he realised he'd dropped his champagne glass on his lap. "Oh, crap! Sorry, I…I…my hands shake."

He could see Jocelyn and Luke biting their lips so as to not burst out laughing, whereas Clary didn't have the same curtesy and declared she would get Simon a towel in between laughing fits. Isabelle, unfazed, sat down next to Simon with a smile. "Happens to the best of us."

"I swear I attract accidents like the common cold." Simon said, embarrassed.

"Don't worry Simon; it'll dry out in no time." Luke offered from the table, still unable to look Simon in the eye without at least smirking.

"At least you didn't get any on your nice shirt." Isabelle said, noting the navy blue shirt Simon had chosen to wear with skinny black jeans and the nice shoes he wore to work. "You look nice."

"So do you. I mean, no, you don't. I mean…you do, but not just nice. You look stunning. Like, _really_ stunning. I mean…wow." Simon blabbed, his cheeks going bright red. Jocelyn shoved a napkin into her mouth to stop herself from laughing as Luke hurried out into the corridor where no one could hear his laughter.

Simon was almost pleased to see Isabelle looked genuinely touched. "Thanks, Simon."

Out of pure embarrassment Simon didn't look Isabelle in the eye for too long, but he almost thought he saw her cheeks going red too. Clary came back in and handed Simon a towel. "Didn't think you'd need too big of a towel to dry your crotch."

"You're so funny. And old." Simon retaliated with a grin.

"Do you want me to dry it for you?" Isabelle offered. Simon looked at her in utter shock before she and Clary burst out laughing yet again.

"Is this whole evening just gonna be you all taking turns taking the mick out of me?" Simon asked.

"That's certainly my goal, yes." Clary nodded and turned to Isabelle. "Come on; let's see what wine you want to try first."

"Loving the 'first'." Isabelle grinned and stood up, following Clary towards the kitchen. She took another look back at Simon, who was busy drying himself, smiled and headed in.

…

As predicted, the majority of the meal involved the group making jokes at Simon's expense. Even Luke and Jocelyn managed to get a few good ones in. The food they had spent the day preparing in addition to the decorating went down a treat. Clary also loved the vast amount of presents she received, from art supplies to clothes to bits and bobs to her house and especially Isabelle's gift, a set of tarot cards Clary had mentioned to her once about being strangely intrigued and interested in when she saw them in a shop window and had considered buying on numerous occasions.

As the evening started settling down, Luke gave Jocelyn a lift home and after a few more drinks and mocking on Simon's behalf. Isabelle decided it was time to go home and that she would walk back since her place was only a few blocks away. Simon offered to walk her back and waited in the doorway as Clary and Isabelle said goodbye and Izzy got her things together.

As he waited, he noticed a birthday card that had been thrown in the bin. His curiosity got the better of him; he picked it up and read it. There wasn't much too it and it seemed innocent enough, so Simon assumed that Clary didn't have a particularly good relationship with whoever 'Sebastian' was.

Soon enough, Simon and Isabelle headed out of the building, where Simon's bike had been secured to a nearby lamppost. Isabelle watched amusedly as Simon unchained it. "I can't believe you still ride that thing to work every day. You make more than enough to comfortably afford getting a cab every day. Plus, there's less chance you'll die in a horrific accident. Especially since you attract them like the common cold."

Simon grinned at how obviously pleased Isabelle was with that last remark. "It keeps me active. I've had it for years so there's some sentiment there as well."

"I can't remember every having a bike. I'm sure I did but it's been years since I've needed one." Isabelle recalled.

Simon got an idea and grinned. "Here you are, then."

Isabelle looked confused as Simon handed her his bike. "What?"

"Let's race back to your place. You take the bike and I'll run. I'm good at running." Simon suggested.

Isabelle smirked. "I like the sound of that. If I win you have to owe me a favour. Just one to use whenever I want, but you can't say no to it."

"Fine. And if I win you're never allowed to make fun of me again." Simon smiled.

"…It's on, Lewis. End of the road, turn left and my apartment is the big white and silver building. Try not to look up my dress as I ride away from you." Isabelle grinned enthusiastically.

"You're gonna lose, Isabelle Lightwood." Simon announced confidently.

…

Isabelle Lightwood did not lose.

She was waiting on the steps of her apartment building as Simon almost collapsed in front of her. "You know, I see why you take the bike to work now. It's very freeing."

"You suck." Simon chuckled through his exhaustion.

"No, that would be you. I'll let you know when I want that favour. You can't say no, remember?" Isabelle laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Simon sighed.

"…You okay? You seemed a bit shaken earlier before it all really got going." Isabelle wondered.

Simon shrugged. "I, uh…I saw an old friend today and it made me realise something about myself I'm not particularly proud of. I'm trying to figure out how to deal with it, that's all."

"Well, I know you'll deal with it fast because I happen to think you're pretty amazing." Isabelle nodded. "Except when it comes to wagering races."

"You know, I'd have won if I wore a pretty dress too, so…" Simon smirked and Isabelle laughed.

"…Thanks for taking me home." Isabelle said softly.

"No problem." Simon smiled.

As if instinctive, Isabelle stepped forward and softly pressed her lips against Simon's cheek. "See you tomorrow."

Simon watched her turn around and head up the steps, waving as she walked through the front door. "Bye."

He could blame the cold night air for his red cheeks as he rode back home, but it wouldn't be the real reason for them.

…

Clary was surprised to get a knock on her door ten minutes after Simon and Isabelle had left. She didn't think anyone had left anything behind.

She opened the door to find Jace stood there clutching a small box in his hand. "Hey. I'm glad you're still up. Happy birthday."

"Thank you. What're you doing here?" Clary asked, not that she wasn't pleased to see him.

"Jocelyn gave me the address; I just wanted to actually give this to you on your birthday." Jace revealed, handing Clary the box.

"You didn't need to do this." Clary smiled.

"It's nice actually having someone new to buy birthday presents for." Jace smiled back as Clary opened the box.

Her mouth opened in surprise as she saw a silver necklace inside with a series of charms on moulded in silvers and golds; a paintbrush, a lily, a rose, Clary's birthstone and a graduation cap.

"I was talking to Simon earlier about mixing the personal with the professional and I thought of this. I know a guy who can get this kinda stuff done fast." Jace explained.

"…You got all of this made today?" Clary asked in surprise.

"Hence why it's a bit late getting it here. Sorry." Jace said.

"You don't need to apologise! Jace, I…it's _beautiful_." Clary expressed delightfully.

"You like it?"

"I love it. I…I don't know what to say. Thank you so much." Clary pulled Jace into a quick hug. "You really shouldn't have."

"…I just figured, I've been in a few dark spots lately and…well, you've always been the one to bring me back into the light. I was even having a pretty bad day today and yet here you are making it better with a smile." Jace said softly.

Clary looked at him, her eyes shining bright.

Jace winced. "That sounded so cheesy, sorry."

Clary laughed. "I don't mind cheesy. That's really sweet of you. Can you put it on me?"

"Uh…sure." Jace nodded, taking the necklace as Clary turned away from him and held her hair up. He delicately wrapped the necklace around her neck and clipped it on. His fingers lightly brushed the back of her neck, causing her to hold her breath for a moment. Her skin was deliciously soft to the touch.

Clary faced Jace again with a smile, running the necklace through her fingers. They stared at one another for a moment too long. They became aware of the silence yet neither of them broke it. Before they knew it, they were inches apart, drawn together like magnets and not sure who had moved closer and who hadn't.

Jace looked down upon Clary's soft and sweet face, unable to take his eyes off her. She looked up at him in what most would describe as awe.

"Clary, I…" Jace whispered.

"…What?"

"…I…I'm really glad you're my secretary's daughter."

Clary burst out laughing. "That sounded really weird."

Jace joined in with her laughter. "It really did, but you get what I mean…"

"I think I do, yeah." Clary giggled.

Silence again.

"…You never fail to keep surprising me, Jace Wayland." Clary whispered.

"…Is that good?" Jace whispered in response.

Clary nodded slowly, her eyes still intently locked with Jace's as they found their faces less than an inch apart. "Yes."

Jace practically closed the gap. "Then I promise to never stop." Jace said softly, his lip just brushing hers.

That was it. The tease of his lip against hers wasn't going to be enough.

Clary let out a sigh as she grabbed Jace's shirt and closed the gap between them, their lips meeting with the beautiful precision of two puzzle pieces fitting together. One of his hands found her cheek, moving a loose strand of hair behind her ear before caressing her face against his. The other hand gently caressed her lower back, holding her against him as her grip loosened on his shirt and her arms wrapped around his neck.

Her fingers ran through his hair as their tongues met. They took in the taste of each other and never wanted to be free of it. The kiss was fire; hot, blazing and growing stronger and fiercer by the second. They were lost and trapped by each other but neither of them ever wanted to escape.

They ran out of air at the exact same moment, breaking apart and stepping away from one another, trying to take in what had happened. Neither of them was sure exactly how long had passed, but both knew the answer would never be long enough. Their eyes were still locked on each other's as they rushed back together again, backing up against the wall as they kissed again.

Their lips danced in a blaze of heat before they both became truly lost in the moment; Jace's lips move away from Clary's and kissed all the way along her jaw and down onto her neck. She moaned as she ran her fingers through her hair and held his head into her, unable to comprehend how someone could make her feel so _good_.

She grabbed his shirt again as his lips found hers once more. His hands were on her hips as she held him close against her; there was no space between them at all as their kiss deepened even further. Jace never wanted to forget how she tasted; Clary never wanted to forget the warmth and joy his lips brought to her skin.

They ran out of air again, but this time only their lips parted; their bodies stayed as one. Jace ran a hand through Clary's hair as she rubbed her hands down his chest, feeling undeniably rock-hard abs underneath his expensive shirt. She desperately wanted to tear the shirt from his body and take as much of him in as she could, but she knew they'd played with enough fire.

"…We should, um…cool down a bit. We…we don't…shouldn't…rush." Clary said, out of breath.

"…Yeah…yeah…okay." Jace whispered into her, his forehead resting against hers. "I'll go…we both should…rest."

They parted and moved away from the wall as Jace pulled the door open. He looked at her again as she was surprised she didn't just collapse to the floor from the sheer weight of the lust that had appeared in her body.

He smiled radiantly. "…I'll see you tomorrow."

Clary blushed and nodded, unable to form any words. He didn't take his eyes off of her as he backed out into the corridor outside her apartment and slowly closed the door.

The second the door shut, Clary leaned against it and let her legs give in to the weight of her memory of Jace's taste, lips, body; she slid down it to the floor, gasping for air and smiling. On the other side, Jace was doing exactly the same thing.


	11. I Will Follow You Into The Dark

"There's the old lady." Simon smirked as Clary approached him, shaking her head at him as she sat down in her cubicle and unpacked her things. "Not every day that I'm here before you are."

"I needed a bit of a lie in; I, uh, I couldn't get to sleep last night. Had a lot on my mind." Clary smiled to herself.

"Is that so?" Simon wondered and then noticed something around Clary's neck. "Where's the necklace from? That's pretty cool."

"Oh, uh…Jace got it for me. He dropped it off not long after you and Izzy left. How did that go, by the way?" Clary asked.

"Don't try and sweep this under the rug. Jace gives you an awesome necklace and that's that?" Simon questioned, a smirk forming across his face.

Clary blushed. "I don't know what you're trying to imply, Lewis…"

"I think you do. You haven't been able to wipe that grin off your face since you walked in here." Simon leaned closer. "Did something happen?"

"No! Stop being so nosey! Let me focus on my work." Clary stated, turning back to her computer with the smile still on her face. Simon continued staring at her for a little while before giving up and getting on with his own work.

After a few minutes of silence, Clary got up and leaned right into Simon's cubicle. "And okay, we may have made out a little bit."

Simon's jaw dropped. "Shut the hell up, Fray! I _knew_ it!"

Clary's grin found a way to widen even further as she blushed. "Boy, he can _kiss_."

"If there's more to this than just kissing I'd rather you spare me the details."

"It was just kissing, calm down. I barely got a wink of sleeping thinking about it. I don't know where this puts us now." Clary said.

"Well, as far as I can tell friends don't make out with each other so there's that." Simon grinned. "Oh man, I can't wait to rub this in his face."

"Don't do anything to put him off!" Clary warned.

"Clary, relax. I've been telling him for weeks he's totally into you and he's been putting on his best act denying it. Not as cool as he thinks he is, huh?" Simon nodded happily.

"He _is_ pretty cool though." Clary blushed.

"…Yeah, I know." Simon groaned. "So do you want this to be a thing? You and Jace?"

"…You know, I really think I do." Clary smiled brightly. "I feel like I've peeled the layers away and I finally know the real Jace, you know? I just get this feeling that he's lowered his defences and is completely honest with me about everything."

Simon's face dropped. _I doubt he's told you the truth about me, though._

"He's not a stereotypical jerk, you know? He's…he's actually _really_ sweet. And oh my god the kissing…" Clary continued passionately.

"Okay, okay, I'm gonna stop you there before you go into too much detail for me to handle. But…I'm happy you're happy." Simon smiled.

Clary smiled back and playfully punched Simon's shoulder. "So, your turn to spill. Anything happen with Isabelle?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "It's not like that. I just walked her home, that's all."

"I don't know, I get this feeling that there's something there. I mean you make it blatantly obvious you fancy the pants off her, but I think she genuinely cares for you." Clary said.

"There's a difference between caring and liking someone, Clary. Look, Isabelle Lightwood is a walking goddess; she can have anyone she wants. I highly doubt a dorky guy in glasses who embarrasses himself at least five times a day is the kinda thing she's attracted to." Simon said.

"Please. She flirts with you _all the time_."

"She flirts with everyone. When we went out for lunch once she flirted with a guy who had to be in his forties at least. It's a _very_ nice thought, but it's not gonna happen." Simon stated sadly.

…

Alec wasn't expecting a knock on his apartment door. It wasn't even 8.30am yet. He was sat at his kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal; his hair was still messy, he had yet to put on his tie and, if he was being truly honest with himself, he was still exhausted from the lack of sleep he'd gotten in the past week or so. Ever since he rushed out of Magnus' apartment he hadn't been able to think straight (in many ways).

He was so used to seeing Magnus' face whenever he closed his eyes he wasn't even sure that it truly _was_ Magnus stood there when he opened the door. The moment their eyes met Alec's pulse started racing; his eyes were drawn to Magnus' lips and the memories of his mouth came flooding back. He was overwhelmed by flashes of the last time he'd seen him; the taste of him, the way his skin felt as Alec ran his hands up and down his chest, the sweet pain he'd felt backed up against the wooden door.

"…H-How did you know where I live?" Alec asked, trying to act unfazed by Magnus' appearance. Magnus was in a lavender shirt, black denim jacket and jeans – surprisingly low-key compared to the previous outfits Alec had seen him wear.

"…I may have hired a private investigator to track you back to your residence and pass on the address to me." Magnus explained.

"You…you what?!"

"You're the one who didn't answer your phone, Alexander." Magnus stepped forward and into the apartment. "I wanted to see you. We can't just leave things like we did."

"I thought I'd made it clear. I…I can't do this. It wasn't right." Alec said.

"I'd be more inclined to believe you if you could say that while looking into my eyes." Magnus stated. Alec noted that he'd never heard Magnus sound so sad.

Alec looked at Magnus and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. "…What the hell do you want from me?!"

Alec moved away from Magnus and deeper into the living area. Magnus closed the door and followed him in. "Alec, please. Just be honest with me. I know you feel the way I do. And that…our… _exchange_ …I can't get it out of my mind. It was astonishing. I'd never been kissed with such delicate ferocity and I fear I'm already addicted to it. To _you_."

"Stop it." Alec whispered. "You can't just come here and do this. This isn't fair."

"It wasn't fair for you to just run out the other week." Magnus retaliated.

"You're just toying with my emotions! It's cruel!" Alec exclaimed.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing, exactly?"

"I…" Alec gave up on the sentence. Magnus took a step closer to him; Alec desperately wanted to move away but his body utterly refused.

"Alexander, _please_. Talk to me." Magnus pleaded.

Alec could feel tears stinging behind his eyes as he tried to string some words together. Magnus could read the pain in Alec's face and tentatively took his hand in his.

"…I don't know who I am." Alec whispered, a tear running down his cheek.

"Oh, Alec." Magnus sighed sympathetically. "I know who you are. And you are wonderful."

"…I've spent so long hiding…this…this side of me…hiding who I am…I don't really know how to even _be_ that person."

"Then let me in. Let me help. Not being true to yourself will only ever cause you pain. I know from experience." Magnus said softly. Alec somehow knew that every word Magnus spoke to him was soaked with truth. He just _got_ Magnus. It was always so easy with him and yet so impossible too.

"…What if I'm beyond help?" Alec wondered, terrified.

Magnus shook his head. "No one is beyond help. That's why I became a lawyer. To help."

"That's just it." Alec sighed, another tear falling. "That's yet another problem, isn't it? We can't…we just can't do this. You work for Valentine and Hodge. You're the enemy."

"My employers may be your enemy, Alexander, but I am not." Magnus said, stroking Alec's hand with his thumb. Alec felt shivers all over his body; touching Magnus was electric.

"Magnus…I'm…I'm just too messed up. You should just find someone else. We can be friends but…anything else is a risk I just can't take." Alec stumbled. He looked right at Magnus and saw the heartbreak. "I…I'm s-sorry."

Magnus took a moment to speak again. "…No, don't apologise, I…maybe I pushed too hard. I…um, I understand. But Alec, just remember…we're all human; we're all messy. You'll be okay in the end."

"Magnus…" Alec started, but had no idea what he intended to say. He just knew he wanted to say Magnus' name. Magnus lifted Alec's hand up to his lips and gently kissed it; Alec had forgotten just how soft his lips had been on his skin. He ached to feel it again despite everything.

"You do you, Alexander." Magnus faked a smile. "Do good. Be extraordinary."

With that, Magnus turned and slowly headed back towards the door. Alec felt his heart sink in his chest at the sight; he'd been so used to being the one to walk away from Magnus that he'd never considered what it would be like the other way round. Seeing Magnus walking away from him was the worst thing he'd ever witnessed. He couldn't have it. He wouldn't.

"Magnus, no." Alec said, rushing up to Magnus and grabbing his arm to stop him just as he'd reached the door. He slid his hand down Magnus' arm and took his head. "I…don't go."

Magnus looked deep into Alec's crystal blue eyes. "…I really should."

"I know." Alec whispered, and closed the gap between their lips.

The kiss deepened almost instantly; Magnus' hand gripped Alec's hair as their mouths became one and their tongues danced with a hot, wet passion. Alec grabbed Magnus' belt and pulled him further into the apartment and into the kitchen, where he jumped up and sat on the kitchen table as Magnus leaned into him. Their lips had yet to part.

Eventually Magnus' lips kissed a trail from Alec's mouth and down onto his neck. Alec grabbed the lapels of Magnus' denim jacket and threw it off and onto the floor. The lavender shirt came off next; up over Magnus' head and added to the pile.

Their lips crashed together again as Alec's fingers ran over Magnus' chest, up and down and over his chiselled abs. Magnus moaned with pleasure before pulling away for air. "Alec, are you sure -?"

Alec's lips cut him off briefly before they parted again and Alec whispered onto Magnus' lips. "I'm sure. I want you. Now."

Even more passion was ignited in Magnus; he pulled Alec's work shirt out from his trousers and undid the buttons. Alec let the shirt glide off his body and onto the floor. Magnus explored Alec's chest with his hands and took glimpses inbetween kisses. Seeing Alec's large biceps and muscular physique, Magnus cursed whoever it was who declared that lawyers had to wear clothes to work – a six-pack like Alec's should always be on show.

He kissed across Alec's jawline and down onto his chest, further and further down. Alec pulled him back up so their mouths could meet again as he started unbuckling Magnus' jeans. Magnus practically ripped Alec's belt from his trousers as Alec kicked them off before doing the same himself. Somewhere along the way Magnus's shoes and socks had already come off; he guessed Alec hadn't put his on yet anyway (and _boy_ was he going to be late to work today).

They both needed air and broke apart, panting heavily into each other. Magnus smiled as he rested his forehead against Alec's. "You are something else, Alexander."

"Just wait." Alec teased, grabbing Magnus' hand and leading him out of the kitchen and into his bedroom. He pushed Magnus onto the bed and slammed the door shut.

…

Simon strolled into Jace's office with such a smug expression on his face that even Jocelyn seemed fazed by it as he walked past her. He waited in the doorway for a long while, arms folded and an intense glare upon Jace, who was typing away at his computer and hadn't even acknowledged Simon's presence.

"Have you taken up the art of mime or do you have something to say?" Jace asked, his face not even moving from his screen.

Simon sat down in the chair opposite Jace with assured confidence. "Just checking in. You were shaken up by the whole losing in court thing before, so…"

"…I got over it. What else? That grin makes you look even dorkier than normal." Jace asked.

"Nothing, nothing…just glad you're okay, that's all. And like I said, things with Maia are gonna be fine."

Jace nodded and pressed a button on his phone. "Jocelyn, is Alec in yet?"

"Not yet." Buzzed a reply.

Jace sighed and shook his head. "Where the hell is he?"

"Was, uh…was that _Jocelyn_ …just then?" Simon tried to say casually and failed miserably.

Jace stared at him. "You _know_ it was. Are you high?"

"What? No!"

"Then why are you actually even weirder than you usually do?"

"I'm not! I'm just, you know…taking an interest in my colleagues' lives. I mean Jocelyn is CLARY's mother and CLARY is my friend so of course I'm interested in the wellbeing of my friend CLARY's mother. My friend CLARY's mother who is YOUR SECRETARY. YOUR SECRETARY's daughter is CLARY, my friend."

Jace looked at Simon silently for a long while. "…You know about me and Clary, don't you?"

"Aw, crap! I was hoping to drag that on for much longer, what gave it away?" Simon asked disappointedly.

"What _didn't_ give it away? How have you managed to keep the whole fraud thing under wraps when that is your idea of subtlety?" Jace wondered.

"Don't turn this around on me! So when do you plan on telling your secretary that you snogged her daughter's face off last night?" Simon smirked.

"Don't make me fire you, Lewis." Jace warned with a pointed finger.

"Come on, I've said for ages that you were into her! Isn't this a good thing? You and Clary! You should see her; can't keep the smile off her face. It's all she wants to talk about." Simon said.

Jace's face lit up. "Really?"

Simon nodded pleasingly.

Jace shrugged. "…Well, uh…of course it is. It's _me_ , after all."

"Give it a rest, Jace. The game's up; you really do have a heart in there and can care for someone other than yourself. Just please don't take her to a frickin' burger van for your first date." Simon chuckled.

"There isn't gonna be a first date, Simon. It shouldn't have happened."

"…Wait, what? Why?"

"Clary unlocked a weakness in me, I'll admit that. And I do…I do really like her, but I need to draw a line under it." Jace stated.

"That's ridiculous!" Simon argued.

"So you're telling me that you'd be comfortable dating a girl knowing every single second that went by you were lying to her? I'd have to lie to her about you and what we're covering up and I…I can't do that to her, okay? And telling her, even if she accepted it, would just drag her into this whole mess and if it all went wrong I…I couldn't forgive myself for throwing this on her." Jace explained sadly.

Simon sank into himself. "…I didn't even think of that."

"That's something we're gonna have to deal with. It's kinda lucky that you'd never have the guts to ask Izzy out; I mean, she'd say no anyway because she has common sense but that'd be a whole new can of worms." Jace half smiled.

"…Yeah." Simon sighed.

"I'll just tell her it was a mistake and we should keep our distance. I got caught up in the moment last night. I'm gonna need one hell of a poker face." Jace said.

Simon could see Jace was trying to look and sound fine with everything, but his eyes were telling a completely different story. As he looked at Jace, all Simon could see was yet a new way he'd found to hurt the people he cared about.

…

Magnus was already awake when Alec woke up. Alec rolled onto his back and smiled as his eyes met Magnus' once again. Magnus was lying on his side, facing Alec, his head resting on his arm.

"Your bed is exceptionally comfortable." Magnus purred.

Alec blushed. "I, uh…I'm glad you think so." He paused. "…We shouldn't have done that."

"Oh, I strongly disagree." Magnus smirked suggestively.

"Well, we _are_ lawyers. That tends to happen." Alec said. "Especially when we work at _rival firms_."

"Trivial things, Alexander."

"No, not trivial." Alec said, sitting up. Magnus sat up with him. "Magnus, there's taking risks and then there's _this_."

"I understand that you're not comfortable with anyone knowing about this, and I'm okay with that. In time we can deal with any hurdles. No one has to know." Magnus said, placing his hand on Alec's.

Alec wanted to move his hand away but couldn't bring himself to do it. "But if someone _did_ find out…we'd be in big trouble."

"And that's why no one's going to find out. We'll be careful; in fact, careful is my middle name. Well, it's not, but you get the point." Magnus smiled.

"I'd sooner have 'careful' than Gideon." Alec said shyly.

Magnus' lips curled up even more. "I think Gideon is an adorable middle name…" He shuffled slightly closer to Alec in the bed and pressed his lips on Alec's collarbone. "…for an adorable man."

Alec closed his eyes and leaned his head back as Magnus kissed his way up his neck, smiling in a way he'd only ever smiled for Magnus before. "…I need to go to work."

Magnus whispered inbetween kisses. "I…strongly…disagree."

Alec brought his head back down as he kissed Magnus, tasted him and breathed him in. He ran a hand through Magnus' hair as the kiss deepened. They fell back onto the bed as Alec threw the covers over them both. He had to admit, it felt very good not having a care in the world.

…

Jace waited nervously in the empty filing room; it was lunchtime so everyone had gone out to get food, so it was the perfect spot for some alone time with Clary. He didn't want anyone seeing him let Clary down as gently as he could; hell, if it were possible for him not to be there he wouldn't have been.

He'd instructed Simon to send Clary there during her lunch break, spending all his time until then running through what he could say to her in his head. He found it ridiculously easy to be honest with Clary so he had some faith. After all, being so content with honesty when it came to Clary was why he had to end things before they even got started.

He was so caught up in his own little world that he didn't notice Clary walk up behind him and delicately tap his shoulder. "Hey."

He jumped and faced her. "Hey…sorry."

"Uh…Simon said to meet you here. He didn't look too pleased about it though, is everything okay? Is…is this about last night?" Clary asked innocently. He'd foolishly forgotten just how pretty she was.

"Uh…yeah." Jace tried to swallow his nerves (and probably swallowed his pride as well).

"Oh." Clary said sadly. "You regret it."

No, there was no way he could see Clary look so disappointed ever again. He outright refused to be the cause of her making that face ever again. "No, not at all! Last night was…just incredible."

Clary's face lit up again. "…It really was."

Jace hadn't even realised how much he loved her smile until now. He was beginning to realise a lot of things about her as he stood there looking at her. The hope in her face, the happiness in her eyes…she was just _so_ beautiful.

He didn't need to think as he pulled her close and kissed her with all he had. Her lips tasted of the coffee she must've had quite recently, not that he minded. Her lips seemed even softer than they had been last night. He ran his hand through her hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

She was still having trouble believing it was _Jace Wayland_ she was doing this with. It was _Jace Wayland_ she'd lost sleep over the night before. It was _Jace W_ ayland making her blood boil with lust. She highly doubted there was such a feeling that could ever hope to match how it felt having his lips on hers.

Their lips parted but their bodies stayed firmly where they stood like roots grown deep into the earth. They both smiled brilliant smiles as they looked into each other's eyes.

"…I just wanted to do that again." Jace grinned, his intentions for this meeting long since forgotten almost the second he'd seen her again.

"I'm very glad you did." Clary giggled, kissing him again.

"We should get dinner. Tonight…or, or tomorrow." Jace suggested.

"Or tonight _and_ tomorrow." Clary blushed.

Jace smiled again. "Now that _is_ an idea, Clarissa."

"I didn't even know you knew that was my full name."

"There are many things I know about you and many things I don't, and I'm not gonna rest until I live and breathe Clary Fray."

Clary played with Jace's tie, running it through her fingers. "I didn't have you down for such a soppy romantic."

"I'm pretty sure that's your influence." Jace chuckled.

"Well, how about I influence you some more?" Clary suggested flirtatiously, backing away from Jace and propping herself up on a table at the end of the room.

"If this is what it feels like taking orders, I can understand why you're so good at your job." Jace smiled, throwing off his jacket and discarding it on the table next to Clary as he walked into her, stood at the edge of the table and kissing her passionately. She smiled into the embrace, wrapping her legs around his as their mouths explored one another.

By this point, Jace had forgotten why he'd even summoned Clary in the first place.

…

"Well, well, well…look who it is!" Isabelle smirked as Alec walked into his office and saw his sister sat on his desk reading some sort of file. "You're making a habit of not coming to work, you know."

"I, uh…I just. I had a thing." Alec blushed as he walked around Isabelle and sat at his desk. "And how many times have I told you to not sit on my desk?"

"Well, you weren't using it. I would hate for it to feel neglected." Isabelle smiled.

"I'm sure the block of wood doesn't have feelings, Iz. Speaking of blocks of wood, how's Simon these days?"

"Leave him alone, big brother. He'd a good guy. Maybe even a great one."

"Oh no…please do not tell me you _like_ him. He's a klutz." Alec groaned.

"Says the one wearing his shirt inside out." Isabelle smirked. Alec looked down and saw she was in fact telling the truth. "It's easy to tell when you've had sex, dearest Alec, because it's such a rare occurrence. I think you're being mean about Simon to draw attention away from yourself. Who's the lucky fella? Must've been good for you to be this late."

"…No one. It was…just this guy I met in a bar, okay?"

"I know your eyes are a natural shiny blue anyway, but I refuse to believe some guy you met in a bar makes your eyes shine quite like they are now. Either that or you're high on something."

"I'm not high on anything, Izzy."

"Exactly. One could mistake that look in your eyes as one of deep affection. So who is he?"

"I have work to do." Alec said bluntly.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll drop it. For now." She noted Alec rolling his eyes as she got up off the desk and headed for the door. "It's only because I care."

With that, she was gone. Alec shook his head, unable to hold back a smile of amusement at his sister's antics. It wasn't long before his thoughts returned to Magnus and his smile was present for a whole load of mad, complicated, wonderful reasons.


	12. But You'll Never Follow Me

Hodge walked into Valentine's office with a spring in his step. While he was initially irked when Valentine suggested they stopped sharing an office and got separate ones, leading to him securing one twice the size of Hodge's, he soon came around when Valentine explained why he thought it would increase workload. Valentine had that effect on people; he could explain everything so easily and made it all so simple.

Valentine looked up from his large mahogany desk the second he saw Hodge out of the corner of his eye. "Did she call?"

"Yep. It's done. We're ready." Hodge smiled.

Valentine allowed himself to grin; the moment had finally come. If framing Jace wasn't enough to bring down Lightwood Garroway, he simply had to target a much, much deeper root. And now everything was in place to strike.

"Contact Imogen Herondale." Valentine said victoriously.

…

Clary stared vigorously at her computer screen, desperately trying to pretend she didn't see Jace approaching in her peripheral vision. It took a lot of energy to hold back a smile as well. She silently thanked whoever was listening that Simon was busy in the filing room.

"Hey, I need your help with a new client." Jace said efficiently, leaning into Clary's cubicle.

She tried to hide her surprise and disappointment. "Oh, um…okay. What's their name?"

"Clary Fray." Jace said, and Clary let the smile show. "I need to find out what food she loves so I can book the best restaurant in New York that serves it. Win her over and all that."

"A good cause of action." Clary nodded and now Jace grinned. "I get the feeling that she really loves Italian food."

"Well, there's a restaurant uptown called Capricio's that does the best Italian food I've ever had. Very hard to book tables for but I know the owner fairly well so I can't see it being much of a problem. Do you think she'd like that?"

"I really think she would." Clary blushed. Jace's eyes were shining as he looked at her.

"…Good." He whispered, sending a cold shiver through her body.

"What's all this?" Simon asked suspiciously as he approached the two, a stack of photocopied documents in his arms.

"Work stuff." Jace and Clary said at the same time.

"Uh huh."

"Well, I'll leave you two to your work." Jace announced, turning to Clary. "Thanks again."

"My pleasure." Clary nodded. Jace held back a smirk as he nodded and walked towards the elevator.

"Jace?" Simon called as he hurried after Jace and stopped him in front of the elevator. "You two seem awfully chummy."

"Do we?" Jace asked as he pressed the button to call the elevator. "I guess we're the pinnacle of professionalism."

"Cut the crap, you didn't end things did you?" Simon wondered.

"…It's hard to speak when a pretty girl is kissing you. Not that you'd know." Jace smirked.

"Jace…"

"Look, I know what I said and I know I shouldn't be doing this but…it's different with Clary than with anyone else." Jace said.

"Hey, I'm happy for the two of you…as long as you're careful. I can't let her get dragged into this." Simon pleaded.

"I know, and I promise I don't want her involved any more than you do. I swear, Potter, I'll be careful. No offence, but I just…I feel like I can handle this better than you could." Jace explained softly.

"…I know. You're right. Fine. And the Harry Potter wisecracks still? After all this time?" Simon questioned.

Jace smirked as he stepped into the elevator. " _Always_."

…

Jace headed towards his office with a huge smile on his face. He'd never gotten such a buzz out of being with someone before. He loved this feeling, this energy inside of him. He cared about Clary enough to not burden her with Simon's secret, and having her close to him was always going to outweigh the cons that came with holding things back, even if it all was for her own protection.

As Jocelyn's desk came into view, his smile quickly faded.

The desk was surrounded by Robert, Maryse, Luke, Alec and Isabelle; their faces were all solemn and gloomy. In the middle sat Jocelyn, where she always was, making Jace the best he could be and keeping him in line. Except now she had tears flooding down her cheeks in a way Jace had never seen before.

Seeing Jocelyn like this filled Jace with rage; whoever did this to her was going to regret it immensely once he got his hands on them.

"I've been calling you." Alec stated as Jace approached the cluster.

"It's on silent. What's going on?" Jace asked.

Robert took a deep breath. "We got a call from Imogen Herondale."

Jace hadn't heard such sternness in Robert's voice for quite some time, which was remarkable considering how often he shouted at him. "That bitchy Assistant DA? What did she want?"

"She received an email yesterday morning concerning our firm. According to her source Lightwood Garroway buried evidence to win a case eighteen months ago. They said they received intel confirming the evidence was filed in our records _after_ the case had been to trial and we had won." Robert continued.

"Bullshit." Jace remarked.

"Except the intel apparently came from a Lightwood Garroway employee." Maryse added through gritted teeth.

"Was this mysterious source going by the name of Schmalentine Borgenstern?" Jace quipped.

"Good point; if Valentine tried framing Jace it wouldn't be a surprise for them to try it with Jocelyn." Isabelle said, her eyes looking sympathetically towards the sniffling Jocelyn, who was clearly embarrassed to be crying in front of her colleagues.

Jace's heart ached for her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Imogen contacted everyone she had to about the email and they've been in here since last night. They called us and told us to come in and let the investigative team in just before 10pm." Luke said, clearly seething with rage but with a comforting hand on Jocelyn's shoulder.

"So? We don't have anything to hide." Jace shrugged.

Maryse sighed. "…They found a document in our files that hadn't been used in the trial yet apparently had been filed before the trial had even started. It goes against the case we presented. Remember Magma Incorporated? The document was a receipt saying they knew _exactly_ what they were paying for."

"I worked my ass of on that case, there was no such document. I swear it." Jace swore.

"It had been filed under Jocelyn's name. They think it was her." Robert sighed.

"J-Jace, I…you have to believe me, I would never bury evidence. I knew that case back-to-front too! That could get me in prison; I would never do that to you, or leave…leave C-Clary on her own." Jocelyn pleaded through a fresh wave of tears. Luke knelt down beside her and put an arm around her. Jace noticed Alec didn't look confused; clearly he'd already known of Clary and Jocelyn's connection or had since been told.

Jace had already thought of Clary and how she would react. It'd destroy her to see her mother like this. "Jocelyn, I know you would _never_ do this. Don't even think for a second that I'd doubt you."

Jocelyn managed a small smile at Jace's belief in her.

"So what's the next step?" Alec wondered.

"…They _have_ found what Imogen's source claimed. There will be consequences, I…I just don't know what. The court ruling from the case will be overturned and Jocelyn…" Maryse couldn't finish the sentence. Jocelyn let out another sob.

"Unless we can prove she was framed." Isabelle said.

"Where would we begin to do that?" Robert asked.

"If the intel came from someone who works here, we find that lying son of a bitch." Luke stated.

"Agreed. What can we do?" Alec inquired.

"I have an inkling my young Padawan might be useful…and the fact that I just called him 'my young Padawan' shows I've spent too much time with him already. Jocelyn, don't worry. We're gonna fix this." Jace said, placing his hand gently over Jocelyn's.

She nodded through her tears. "Don't tell Clary. Not yet. Please."

…

"Look, I'm sorry. I just…something's seriously messed up at work." Alec said over the phone as he sat behind his office desk.

"Anything I can do to help?" Magnus offered on the other end of the line.

Alec smiled sweetly. "Not this time. I hope you didn't go to too much trouble."

"Alexander, it's only food. I can still enjoy it by myself. I'll feed some of it to my cat."

"Well I still wanna try that mango and bubblegum ice cream at some point, so don't eat it all without me." Alec said.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I hope your problem gets sorted." Magnus said.

Alec sighed. "…Yeah. Me too."

…

As soon as Jace had explained the situation to Simon via text, Simon had come running up to Jace's office and burst into the door. "This is bullshit!"

"I agree." Jace nodded, sat on his desk with one hand running through his hair.

"You think this is Morgenstern Starkweather again?" Simon asked.

"I think so."

"Okay, okay…we need a plan. I'm not good with plans a lot of the time." Simon panicked, pacing in front of Jace.

"Stop pacing; I've got an idea already but I needed you for it and for no one else to be involved." Jace stated.

"How come?" Simon asked.

"…Do you still have the details of the guy who forged your Harvard records and references?" Jace asked.

"…Jace, are you sure this is the way to go about this? I -"

"-Simon, this is _Jocelyn_. That woman has kept me on the straight and narrow for so long. I'd be lost without her at the desk. And she's _Clary's mother_. If we don't get this fixed soon…she could go to prison for something she didn't do!"

"…Okay. Yeah, I have his number." Simon confirmed.

"Do you think he'd be able to hack into our system? See if any employees have sent or received emails to and from Morgenstern Starkweather?" Jace wondered.

"I doubt that'd be a problem. If he can hack into Harvard Law…he should be able to get it done. He'd want to be paid." Simon said.

"He can name a price and I'll pay it." Jace pleaded. "Call him."

…

Luke had spent thirty minutes watching two officers question Jocelyn in his office. He wanted to kick down the door and get her as far away from them as possible; he could see on their faces as they talked to her that they had already decided she was guilty. They'd arrived just as she'd composed herself, and the questioning had set her off all over again. If they were anyone else he'd have thumped them, like the guy from high school who felt her up in the hallway that time. What was his name? Colin? Carl? Chris?

It didn't matter. He'd never touched Jocelyn again after the broken nose, so that's all that mattered. Unfortunately repeating the actions of years ago this time around may just cause even more problems rather than solve any.

Eventually, Jocelyn was let out of the room and walked immediately into Luke's arms, crying into his shoulder as he held her tight. "I have to stay in their line of sight."

"We'll fix it. I swear." Luke said.

"Do you really think this was Valentine and Hodge? I knew they'd stoop low to get at us, like stealing clients, but… _this_? It's inhumane." Jocelyn sniffed.

"I can't see any other explanation. But they've gone too far this time." Luke stated.

"If…if the worst happens and I…you'll look after Clary, won't you?"

Tears stung the back of Luke's eyes as he kissed the top of Jocelyn's head and kept her close to him as she cried once more. He couldn't find any more words.

…

Just over an hour later, Simon rushed back into Jace's office. "Money's gone in. He said thanks."

"Whatever, did he find anything?" Jace asked hurriedly.

Simon sighed and nodded, placing a small stack of papers onto Jace's desk. Jace took them and flicked through them, his face growing angrier and angrier with each page. "He sent you these?"

"Yeah, had to go home to print them just in case someone saw. I guess she didn't really need to delete them from her inbox and outbox." Simon said.

"Because she's the one who monitors them in the first place. Let's get that bitch." Jace seethed, rushing out of his office with Simon close behind. They hurried to the elevator and made their way down to the Tech Division.

They felt everyone's eyes on them as they walked through the mass office space and stormed into the large office at the end of the room, closing the door behind them and glaring at the head of the department.

"Jace, what can I do for you?" Dorothea asked.

Saying nothing, Jace walked up to the desk and slammed the stack of papers in front of her. She knew what they were before she even looked at them. "I see."

"I knew you were a freak but I never had you down for downright despicable." Jace raged.

"Don't you dare try and lecture me, Wayland." Dorothea warned.

"Why would you do this? You've worked here for years and _this_ is how you repay us all?"

"Oh please! Valentine and Hodge made more time for me in the last few months than Robert, Maryse and Luke did combined for _years_. I'd interviewed there years ago and got rejected so I took a job here; they told me they'd made a mistake and had held onto my details all that time." Dorothea explained.

"You mean they knew they were your first choice and kept that in mind to use as a ploy against the firm should they ever need to exploit you for their own gain." Simon added.

Dorothea ignored him. "They offered me huge amounts to do the odd favour for them should they ask, and said when they're ready I can leave this place and work for them."

"Like that's ever gonna happen. So Robert, Maryse and Luke don't come and say hello very often; they'd still remain loyal to you and have kept you employed all this time. As soon as you're no longer useful Valentine and Hodge will drop you like a hat. And now we've caught you out, I have a feeling you've reached your expiration date." Jace said sternly.

"You think you know them, but you don't." Dorothea grumbled.

"I know _exactly_ what they are: trash. No wonder they got in contact with you." Jace seethed. "You did this to Jocelyn, didn't you? You planted that evidence in the file on Valentine's orders to hurt our firm."

"Forging documents is easy, especially with your digital signatures on file to paste into them with ease. The filing room is so rarely busy it was simple enough to print it out and slide it in the right folder." Dorothea admitted.

"And the digital signatures can only be accessed by people with the firm's own code! Can't you see they're using you?" Simon questioned.

"They've treated me like a human being, which is more than I can say for anyone else here after my first few weeks!" Dorothea exclaimed angrily. Simon was happy for the thick glass that made up the office walls.

"…It was you before as well, wasn't it?" Jace asked.

"What?"

"Morgenstern Starkweather sent you that fake contract and you added my digital signature to it to frame me. You hacked into my emails, created a false conversation between me and that trashy firm, printed them and then deleted them before I could see them." Jace said.

Dorothea leaned forward, smiling. "And you know what? _I'd have done that for free_."

"Since you're barely a woman, I'm tempted to actually hit you." Jace raged.

"Jace, she's not worth it." Simon said, stepping forward. "It doesn't matter. She's admitted it and we have the evidence right there. You're not gonna be working at any firm ever again. You'll probably end up behind bars."

"Where you belong." Jace nodded with a smile.

Dorothea actually laughed. "Tell on me if you like. But if you do…I might just have to tell them that you're little associate here is a complete and utter fraud."

Simon's heart stopped. The colour drained from Jace's face.

"You didn't think I needed to prepare myself in case anyone found me out?" Dorothea smirked, looking at Jace. "When you came to me for help installing the new software system, remember? You didn't do a very good job of hiding being spooked by something on Mr Lewis' profile when you saw his Harvard grades. A bit of digging and research, then a few phone calls to law schools and colleges…it all became clear. Don't worry, Valentine and Hodge don't know; I have more protection keeping this to myself. You tell on me and save your secretary? Fine. But if you do, it'll be the pair of you heading off to jail instead." Dorothea explained, taking delight in every word.

It took all of Simon's strength not to collapse to the floor. Jace shook with fury. "You monstrous witch."

"I hear Jocelyn's a strong woman. I'll sure she'll fair just fine in prison. It'll only be a couple of years at most, anyway." Dorothea said, grabbing the stack of papers and quickly throwing them into a shredder in the corner of the room. "Is there anything else I can help you with, gentlemen?"

Jace couldn't control himself; he spat in Dorothea's face and stormed out of the room. Simon enjoyed the shocked look on her face for a few moments before the darkness consumed him once more and he hurried out after Jace.

…

Jace rushed into his office and threw everything off his desk in frustration as Simon walked in after him. Jace leant against his desk and slammed his fist down on it multiple times. "I'm so angry I can _hardly breathe_!"

"…Jace…"

Jace turned to see Simon look more broken than he'd ever seen him, even more than when Jace himself had found out Simon's secret. Tears were falling down his cheeks. "This is my fault."

"Simon, we can't afford to break down. I wasn't careful enough around her; she wouldn't have found out if it weren't for me." Jace said.

"You couldn't have helped being shocked. I…I never thought it would go this far, I…I never should have come here. I'm...I'm so s-sorry, Jace."

More tears fell from Simon's face. Jace walked up to him and placed his hands firmly on his shoulders. "Simon, listen to me. We need to stay strong and think of something else. Okay? We can't tell on her but she can't tell on us. Nothing's changed from us knowing nothing. We need to find another way of removing blame from Jocelyn."

"…Okay." Simon sighed, taking off his glasses and drying them and his eyes with his sleeves. As he managed to compose himself, Jace's door tentatively opened. The men turned to see Maryse stood there. Her physicality was strong but there was a weakness in her eyes not usually there.

She looked at the mess Jace has caused by throwing everything off his desk. "Jace, I know this is stressful but you can't lose it like this."

"I'll clean it up, whatever. What's happened?" Jace asked, his eyes yearning for answers. Simon held his breath.

"Magma Incorporated are suing us for mishandling their case and neglecting them as clients. We'll handle a settlement; we can afford it, thankfully." Maryse explained.

"…And Jocelyn?" Simon asked before Jace could.

Maryse paused and took a deep breath, looking down at the floor. "…They're charging her. Tampering with evidence, perverting the cause of justice…" Her voice trailed off as Jace put his head in his eyes and Simon struggled to breathe.

"It's _fake bloody evidence_!" Jace shouted.

"We can't prove that, Jace…did you find anything?" Maryse asked.

Simon looked at Jace pleadingly. _Please just tell her. Tell her what an awful person I am. Let them lock me up._

"…No." Jace sighed. "Nothing."

Maryse's head dropped in shame and disappointment. Simon thought he actually heard her heart break. "Well, I…I called in a favour from Imogen; she's owed me one for a long time. She had to fight tooth and nail but and call in favours of her own but – not in the most _elegant_ way – Jocelyn won't go to jail. She will be sentenced a vast amount of community service – a _very_ vast amount – but that's better than the alternative."

Simon's heart leaped. "Oh thank God…"

But Jace knew Maryse, and knew the look on her face. "There's something else."

Simon looked back at Maryse, who nodded slowly and choked on her words. "…Her employment at Lightwood Garroway is…is to be terminated, effective immediately. She won't be able to work in law again, another one of the arrangements made to revoke a possible prison sentence."

Jace sank to the floor, his arms around his knees. "This can't be happening."

"But…but she's been here for years, working with all of you since near the beginning…" Simon managed to say.

"…I know." Maryse said, a lump in her throat. "Luke's gone to tell Clary. We all need to be there for her _and_ Jocelyn right now."

No more words were said. Maryse slowly turned and made her way out. Through the window Simon could see Robert leaning against the wall with his head in his hands, while Isabelle was crying into Alec's shoulder.

He turned to Jace. "I'm gonna tell them the truth. I'll make a deal to keep you out of it and bring Dorothea down with me."

"…No. You're not." Jace said, slowly getting up.

"Jace, I…I can't live with this. Jocelyn's lost a job she loves because of _me_."

"Because of Valentine and Hodge."

"We can't just tell ourselves that to make us feel better." Simon argued.

"Simon, I am _never_ going to forgive myself for this. Believe me. I…I don't know how I'm gonna manage with her sat out there." Jace admitted, fighting back tears. The sight of Jace crying made Simon want to throw up and let the pain he felt consume him.

"Please let me tell them."

"Simon, I don't want this to happen. At all. But this is the only way no one goes to prison. I'm gonna make sure Jocelyn gets by. I'm gonna be there for her and Clary; we all are. And you'd be in prison for much longer than she would have. This could've been so much worse for all of us." Jace explained.

"…It's still not right."

"This is what Jocelyn wants. I know her."

"How can you say that?" Simon asked.

"…If she'd wanted it, she could've taken the attention away from her and told them the truth herself. But she didn't. Because she's a fucking incredible woman, and I'm gonna pay her back for the ridiculous amount of bravery she's shown today. And I'm gonna bring Valentine and Hodge down for this if it's the last thing I do. And I'll probably make a habit of spitting in Dorothea's face because that felt good." Jace said. "Okay?"

Simon was silent for a long while as he let more tears fall anew. "…Okay. Okay."

"Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones." Jace sighed sadly. "But you still have to choose."

…

Jocelyn had to be taken down to the police station for further questioning and all the processes that needed to be gone through. She was escorted down to the entrance, through all the people and places she'd loved over the years, and outside where a police car was waiting. She looked straight ahead the whole time, even as she was helped into the back of the car and Clary stormed out after her, screaming her mother's name in between wailing sobs. Clary collapsed to the ground in tears as the car drove off, Luke kneeling down with her and holding her tight.

Robert and Maryse stood watching the car drive off into the distance, his arm around her as she allowed herself to cry. Isabelle had still refused to let go of Alec and continued sobbing into her big brother's shoulder. Jace ached to hold Clary close, but his guilt and self-loathing kept him stood next to Alec and Isabelle.

Simon was stood behind all of them, right at the revolving door at the entrance of the building. His eyes were red with tears and he still couldn't find enough strength to make any sort of sound. His eyes were fixated on Clary, the friend he deeply cared for yet had been responsible for completely breaking. He'd never forget the way she'd screamed for Jocelyn.

He thought about the day he got the idea to apply for a simple paralegal job at Lightwood Garroway. He thought about telling Jordan and convincing him it was a good idea. He thought applied filling out the application. He thought about calling the guy who faked his successes for him. He thought about being offered a job beyond his wildest dreams. He thought about the friends he'd made. He thought about the friend's he'd hurt. He thought about what came next. He thought about how he could go about living with himself. Eventually, everything merged together in his head and he could think only one thing.

 _It wasn't worth it._


	13. We Are All Human

Simon was staring at the TV but not really watching it. He'd spent the past four days in his own little bubble, desperate to never leave it and return to reality. The awful, unfair reality that he'd caused. News of Jocelyn's dismissal from Lightwood Garroway had spread like wildfire; every major law firm knew about it as did the local papers (mainly thanks to Morgenstern Starkweather revealing all, it was safe to assume).

Ever since Clary had been seen screaming after Jocelyn as she'd been taken away by the police, everyone at the firm was soon aware that they were mother and daughter; Simon was plagued by questions about it. He ignored them as best he could, and had either done work at home or in Jace's office, unable to be around Clary without being weighed down by his guilt. He knew it wouldn't work out for him if he told Clary the truth, but he was starting to feel like it didn't matter.

 _It's like they say in Stranger Things; "friends don't lie"._

"Simon." Jordan said, shaking Simon's shoulder as he sat down next to him on the couch. "You're gonna be late to meet Jace."

Simon took a moment to register what Jordan had said and looked at his watch. "Right. I'll go now."

"You haven't eaten." Jordan sighed.

"I'm not hungry."

"Simon, blaming yourself for all of this won't help anyone."

"There's no one else _to_ blame." Simon said emotionlessly as he went out the door.

…

"I can't believe this." Jace said, staring at the stack of papers Robert had placed onto his desk.

"Jace, please…we need to find a replacement for Jocelyn. It's _your_ secretary after all, just go through the candidates." Robert sighed.

Whenever Jace was alone with Robert he got the sense that Robert always felt there was something else he could be doing or better company he could be talking to; it's why he'd never particularly grown that attached to him. "Rob, her desk chair's probably still warm."

"Don't call me Rob. We have to be efficient about this, Jace. We have to move on as best we can, make everyone see that the firm survives any hiccup."

" _Hiccup_?" Jace was appalled. "This is _Jocelyn_. Remember her? The woman you've known practically all your life? The woman who's given so many hours to you and this firm? There's gotta be another way of getting her back."

"Jace." Robert's voice was firm. "I don't like this either. I've known Jocelyn since before you were even born. She's very dear to Maryse and I. Luke, as well. But she's gone, and she _can't_ come back. Ever."

"We can still prove she was framed."

"…You can try all you like, but just remember that you actually have a _job_ to do here." Robert groaned and walked out of the office. Less than a minute later Simon walked in.

"Robert Lightwood is an ass." Jace said angrily as Simon took a seat in front of Jace's desk.

"Whatever you say." Simon said quietly.

"…How're you doing?"

"This is a whole new level of self-loathing I'd never thought I'd reach and it's eating me up more by the second, but apart from that I'm great. You?"

"Pissed off. I'm too angry to feel anything else right now. Is this all Valentine and Hodge have planned to ruin the firm? Is getting rid of Jocelyn just step one? They could get that bitch Dorothea to delete all of our files if they wanted to. Actually, that's a good point. I better check we've got everything backed up somewhere." Jace said.

"Have you spoken to Clary? Or anyone?" Simon wondered.

Jace's face dropped. "I've tried calling Clary but she's not talking to anyone; she won't even talk to Isabelle."

"I haven't even tried." Simon admitted guiltily.

"Maryse says she's never seen Luke as angry as he's been the past few days. Alec and Izzy have calmed down a bit, but they still want to do something. Jocelyn won't speak to anyone except Luke, and he's too angry to form sentences to tell us how she's doing." Jace explained.

"…I've hurt so many people." Simon sighed.

"Simon, don't do this to yourself. We're gonna come up with something."

Simon couldn't find it in himself to find any sort of faith that this mess could ever get sorted. He even sensed that Jace's optimism was all just an act; he hadn't called him any of the hundreds of nicknames he had for him for four days.

…

Clary hadn't missed any work since everything had kicked off; she ached for the distraction, even working two or three hours longer a day that she normally did (which even then was more than the average number of hours). She knew everyone kept glancing at her, now knowing she was Jocelyn's daughter, but she tried her best to ignore them and get on with her work. It's not that they were judging her – they were glares of sympathy – but she wasn't a huge fan of being the centre of attention at the best of times, but like this was even worse.

"Hey." A timid voice said beside her.

She looked up to see Simon stood there awkwardly. "Hey."

"…I'm sorry I haven't really, you know…been here or…spoken to you." Simon said apologetically.

"It's okay. I understand. It must be difficult to approach me." Clary said, her mind going straight to thoughts of Jace.

"No, no, it's not that, I…I'm not very good at being a friend, am I?" Simon said.

"Simon, you're one of my best friends. Working here was made even better when you arrived. I've been shutting people out too." Clary said.

"Yeah, but you have a reason to. I've just…I've felt a bit helpless." _Even though I could fix all of this._

"Simon, it's okay. I needed some time to process this anyway. Mom's been staying with me; she got bombarded by colleagues and local journalists at her place and she's not in a good place." Clary explained, clearly fighting back tears. "Do you mind if we talk about something else?"

Simon didn't know if he'd be able to act like things were normal, but for Clary he'd try his best. "Sure. Uh…what…what did you have for breakfast?"

Clary actually looked amused. "Way to be normal, Simon."

"Sorry. I told you I'm no good at this."

"I don't care. Knowing that you're here will be enough. I need to start letting people help; Luke's been amazing with me and mom so it only makes sense to let others in too." Clary nodded.

Simon looked at Clary with pure admiration. "You're a badass, you know that?"

Clary laughed gently. "Thank you. But I'm just doing what I have to do."

"Well, we're only human. But I swear, whenever you need me from now on, I'll be here. So will Izzy. And Jace."

Clary looked down. "Yeah. I know."

"Can I talk to you quickly?" A new voice asked. Simon and Clary looked to see Maia stood next to them. She offered Clary a small smile before turning to Simon, who she'd asked the question to in the first place. He nodded, squeezed Clary's hand supportively and followed Maia into a nearby corridor.

"What is it?" Simon asked nervously.

"No, no, don't worry, I just…" Maia stumbled. "…You okay?"

"…Jordan asked you to check up on me, didn't he?"

"Yes, but I would have even if he hadn't asked." Maia said. He appreciated her honesty; ironic considering he was making her lie for him every day she worked at the firm. "I don't agree with what you've done here, Simon, but you're still my friend."

"Even with all the lying I'm making you do?"

"I'm paying you back in kind. Look, I know it may not mean much but…if you ever want to vent or let it out, you can come and find me for as long as I'm here." Maia smiled.

"Thank you. That means a lot." Simon smiled.

"You have a terrible habit of thinking the worst of yourself." Maia said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Don't."

Maia smiled again and turned to walk away. Simon stopped her. "Maia?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you and Jordan been talking about me much since you got back? Considering he put you up to this…"

"Not really." Maia answered, and smiled to no one in particular. "We talk about other things, too. Look after your friend."

She wandered off back to work and Simon smiled. He had noticed Jordan had seemed happier since Maia had returned to the city; he'd been sleeping in less and had actually been going out looking for jobs. He was even wearing jeans and clean shirts again, not tracksuits! Obviously his reconnecting with Maia (that he'd _mysteriously_ failed to mention to Simon) was doing him some good. At least that was something for Simon to feel positive about. It wasn't all darkness after all.

…

The last time Jace had been called to Luke's office, it was part of a scheme to get him and Alec to make amends. The scheme _had_ worked, but Jace feared this time wasn't going to be an experience he'd get any enjoyment out of.

As he reached the door, he saw Luke leaning his back against his desk, facing Jace. Their eyes locked as Jace walked in. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did. I need you to explain something to me." Luke said, eerily calmly.

"…What's up?" Jace asked. He'd never been scared of Luke before. He didn't like the feeling of it.

"Maryse told me you and Simon didn't find anything about how Jocelyn could have been framed. Nothing at all." Luke said.

"…That's right." Jace gulped.

"Forgive me, but I struggled to believe that. You spent the whole day on it; you and Simon – the self-proclaimed 'dream team'. So I followed your journey on CCTV to see what your investigation entailed." Luke explained calmly and yet a layer of fury was under his words. Jace froze. "Can you tell me what your shouting match with Dorothea was about? And why you _spat in her face_?"

Luke picked up some photos from his desk and showed them to Jace; screenshots of CCTV showing him and Dorothea's argument with Simon standing just in the corner of the shots.

"I went to Dorothea but she was insistent I get an explanation from you." Luke added.

 _She knows I would never tell on her. She just wants to play games with me and rub it in my face._

"…We went to her to see if there was a trail of emails or some method of communication between any firm employee and Morgenstern Starkweather in order to track down who gave Imogen Herondale her 'intel'. She said, uh, she said something about the new software being installed a while back and how it had rearranged where all the data was stored. She didn't have the means of accessing that kind of information yet. I, you know, I was stressed and I…I took it out on her. It was a mistake. I took it out on her and I shouldn't have." Jace lied through his teeth and hoped it would be enough. He hated every word she was forcing him to say.

"…You'll write her a proper apology. Not email, by hand, and give it to her. She could report you for this." Luke warned.

"I doubt she will, somehow." Jace said.

"Be careful of that arrogance." Luke said.

Silence.

"…How's Jocelyn doing?" Jace asked eventually.

Luke sighed. "She's putting on a brave face for Clary but when it's just us she can't stop crying."

"This _was_ Valentine and Hodge. I know it _was_." Jace stated.

"You see, there you go again, saying it like you know its fact. I know Jocelyn is innocent but, while Valentine and Hodge framing her is the likely explanation, I can't ignore that there are other ones. For all I know Santiago Belcourt did this, or some random hacker. I understand the belief in Jocelyn but nothing else…what aren't you telling me, Jace?"

Luke took a few steps closer. Jace swallowed. "…Nothing. I'll, uh…I'll write the letter now."

Jace hurried out of the room, Luke's eyes firmly locked on him until he was out of sight. Luke wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a big sigh. Something wasn't adding up with Jace; while he was often arrogant, it was justified. But it felt different this time. Jace was holding something back from him. Maybe Simon was too.

And he was going to find out what.

…

Clary's heart somehow managed to soar and sink all at once at the sound of the cupboard door opening, meaning Jace had found the place she'd asked to him to meet her on the 17th floor. It was a rather small cupboard, filled with stacks of printing paper, pots of pens and a vacuum cleaner.

Clary forced herself to smile as Jace closed the door and took a few steps closer until they were only inches apart. "Hi."

"Hi. I like your taste in cupboards." Jace joked half-heartedly.

"…How're you doing?" Clary asked.

Jace sighed. "I should be asking _you_ that. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you or Jocelyn, I promise I will be but it's just getting my head around-"

"-Jace, it's okay. I understand. You've worked with my mom for a long time."

"How are you? Really? And Jocelyn?" Jace asked, taking her hands in his. She knew she should let them go and push him away but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not yet. Just a few more seconds of this. Of him. Of _them_.

"We'll get there. We're being strong for each other. I have no idea what she's gonna do now." Clary admitted, growing teary. She'd tried so hard not to cry for four days, but the walls she had put up were quickly crumbling, even more so in Jace's presence. She ached and yearned to show him all of herself and let him in.

"She's one of the strongest people I know; we'll help her and she'll help herself too. It's all gonna work out. I can see you got a lot of your strength from her." Jace smiled, running a hand through Clary's hair. She closed her eyes and leaned into the warmth of his palm. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Clary could hardly breathe as her eyes were drawn to his once again. "…Look, Jace, I…"

And now he was kissing her. Softly at first, then more intensely and then with a passion she could hardly believe. She got lost in the feeling of his lips, her arms around his neck as he pulled her close and breathed her in. She let one hand run through his hair as the other came down and gripped his jacket with so much power that it came close to being torn.

Kissing him was fire. Kissing him was an escape. Kissing him was an addiction.

And yet she had to break free from it.

"Jace." She whispered as she reluctantly pushed herself away from him and summoned all the strength she could to not rush straight back into his arms and experience the taste of him once more. "We can't."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"This, us…I…I can't do this. Not after everything. I need to be there for my mom right now. I really like you, Jace, I do, but I need to put my mom's needs above my own. I hope you can understand that. I'm sorry." Clary sighed sadly. This was the last thing she wanted to do; things were only just getting started. She'd had such a good feeling about it, too.

Jace took a while to speak again, eventually just shrugging. "Okay. Whatever. If you want."

Clary looked shocked. "I don't want to, but-"

"-Clary, it's fine. Whatever. It's no big deal, is it? This was just…just there, right? Something to pass the time?" Jace said.

"…You don't mean that."

"Believe what you want to. Anything else or can I get back to doing my job?" Jace asked, eyebrows raised. He seemed oblivious to the hurt written all over Clary's face.

"I…well at least I know how you were feeling about this. I guess this is for the best." Clary said sternly.

"Plenty of fish in the sea."

Clary stepped back and let out a grunt of disgust. "Wow. I guess I got it wrong, didn't I? I thought the arrogant, sarcastic Jace was the act and you were actually a really great guy. But it's the other way round."

She pulled open the door and stormed out with all her might. Jace watched her go; the second the door closed again his shoulders fell and he leant against the wall, his face dropping. As soon as he'd realised what she was doing his instincts had told him to just make it easier for her to end things between them.

He didn't think it would leave him quite so hollow.

Now he didn't have Clary, he'd realised just how much she meant to him. She'd made him just that little more human.

…

That evening, Simon surprised Clary and Jocelyn at Clary's apartment with some chocolates and flowers. They engaged in some small talk for a while before Clary got the sense that Jocelyn was close to another breakdown and pulled Simon aside to give her some alone time.

"I just wanted to tell you…I broke things off with Jace." Clary revealed.

Simon's heart sank; yet even more sadness he was the cause of putting Jace through. "Oh. Wow. Okay."

"I can't have a relationship, not with all this going on. But he was kind of a jerk about it; I thought he'd understand. But the more I thought about it…do you think he was just putting on an act?" Clary asked.

Simon could barely concentrate on Clary's words through his guilt. "Uh…maybe."

"Just…keep an eye on him, okay?"

"Yeah. Totally. Of course." Simon nodded. He was amazed that even in a time of personal crisis Clary was still more interested in the needs of others.

As they returned to Jocelyn in the living room, they could see she had been crying silently in their absence. Clary rushed to her side and hugged her tight. Simon jumped as the kitchen door opened and Isabelle popped her head out amongst a cloud of steam.

Simon wanted to make a joke about how Isabelle was literally hot, but knew it wasn't the right time. That and because somehow Isabelle still managed to look sexy in an apron.

Now he was imagining her in just an apron. He knew it was an inappropriate time and place, but he could never focus properly when it came to Isabelle Lightwood.

"Where do you keep the salt?" Isabelle asked before noticing Simon stood there. She smiled. "Hi, Simon."

"Hallo." Simon said and then cringed. "Sorry, don't know why I went German there."

"Neither do I." Isabelle laughed.

"I, uh…I didn't know you were here." Simon stated as calmly as he could.

"Salt's in the first cupboard on the left. Izzy's cooking dinner for us. She brought flowers too." Clary smiled appreciatively.

Simon looked over to a nearby table and saw that there was, indeed, another bouquet of flowers next to the ones Simon had brought. However, Isabelle's bouquet was just that bit taller than Simon's.

"That was very kind of you." Simon said.

"As it was you. And don't worry Simon, size isn't everything." Isabelle winked.

For the first time since Simon had arrived, Jocelyn smiled. Clary held back a laugh as Isabelle clearly enjoyed seeing the blush form on Simon's cheeks.

"Are you staying?" Isabelle asked Simon suddenly. "There'll be plenty for you."

"Oh, I, uh…I don't know…" Simon said.

"Please feel free to stay, Simon." Jocelyn muttered. "How else can we make fun of you?"

A cheeky smile crept up on Jocelyn's face, the Jocelyn she'd been before everything fell apart. Maybe, Simon thought, she'd be okay after all. In time. This was just a wobble. Though it often didn't seem it, Jocelyn wasn't a superwoman or a machine. She was human.

"Well, I'd love to." Simon smiled. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"

Simon and Isabelle shared a glance that said the same thing. _Clary and Jocelyn could use more alone time_.

"That'd be great." Isabelle nodded, retreating into the kitchen. Simon smiled at Clary and Jocelyn before joining her. Despite the many pots and pans all over the place, Isabelle did seem to be running a tight ship; everything felt organised and systematic.

"What're you making?" Simon asked.

"Pasta with a twist." Isabelle smiled.

"What's the twist?"

"That, Simon Lewis, is a Lightwood family secret." Isabelle smirked. "Plus, this is honestly the only thing I can cook. If it were anything else anyone whoever ate some of it would be dead within the hour."

Simon laughed at that. Isabelle giggled with him.

"This is really cool of you, to do this for them." Simon noted.

"I've known Jocelyn my whole life, and Clary's the first real friend I've made in a long time. Besides you, anyway." Isabelle revealed.

"Friends with Isabelle Lightwood? I should add that to my résumé." Simon smiled.

"You should; it'd get you a job anywhere." Isabelle joked. "Though don't you dare think about leaving us."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Simon chuckled.

"Good, because Clary's gonna need you to get through this. So is Jace; he's taking this pretty hard. You seem to do him a lot of good." Isabelle said.

"You think?"

"We were his only friends before he met you, and even then we weren't on the best of terms, were we? Then you come along and make it look easy to fit in with our lives."

"…I don't know if that's a good thing." Simon said sadly.

Isabelle stopped mixing some of the pasta and looked up at Simon, concerned. "Why do you say that?"

"This is my fault. All of this." Simon blurted out.

"…What do you mean?"

Isabelle had stepped closer to him. His heart was pounding as she stared at him worriedly.

 _No. Learn from Jace and Clary. You care about her too much to drag her into this._

"…It's just how I feel…I don't know."

Isabelle let out a sigh of sympathy and walked up to Simon. "None of this is on you, okay? This whole self-loathing thing doesn't suit you; Jace is rubbing off on you just as you're rubbing off on him. I know I don't know you all that well, but what I do know I like. I really like. You're an amazing person, an amazing lawyer and an even better friend. You're human, Simon Lewis, just like the rest of us. No one's perfect."

"…I disagree." Simon said, looking deeply into Isabelle's eyes. He'd said it before he'd thought about it.

He'd felt her draw in her breath as he'd said it. She'd tied her hair back to cook, but a few strands had fallen loose of the hairband. He felt compelled to move them back behind her ear, so he did. She closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly as she felt his touch. When she opened them again, she looked it him with an intensity he'd never seen in them before. It didn't seem like a bad kind of intense, either.

She – very cautiously – brought up her hand to his chest and readjusted his slightly crooked tie. Her silky fingers lightly gripped it and she found herself pulling it towards her, causing Simon to lean down towards her. Their eyes were on each other's lips.

The door squeaked open slightly and they jumped apart. Clary smiled at the both of them. "He hasn't set anything alight then?"

Isabelle smiled. "Not yet."

Clary laughed and went back into the living room. Isabelle quickly moved back to one of the pans and started stirring again.

"…Can you, uh, can you drain the pasta in there?" Isabelle asked, turned away from Simon.

Simon located the pot she must have been talking about and let out a tiny sigh. "Sure."

They continued to work without saying a word to each other or so much as sharing a glance. They plated up in silence, ate in silence (only conversing with Clary and Jocelyn) and parted in silence, Isabelle leaving almost as soon as the food was all gone.

Simon left not long after, finding his bike still chained up outside Clary's apartment building. For the whole journey home, Simon thought of Isabelle and the way she'd looked at him for those few moments. Maybe she really did…?

It didn't matter. It couldn't matter.

He rode home, through the darkening sky, as his list of problems grew ever longer.

…

Dorothea was always the first in the office in the morning. As she made her way down to her office at the end of the floor, she caught a glimpse of something small and white attached to her door. A letter. The apology letter from Jace she'd be promised. She smiled, having been looking forward to reading it.

She reached the door and pulled the envelope off of it, discarding the piece of tape that had secured it to the floor and tearing the envelope open. She was pleased to instantly see Jace's handwriting, but as she read the smirk on her face quickly descended into a scowl.

 _Dear Crazy Bitch,_

 _I'm not sorry. Go ahead and complain again, see where it gets you. – Jace_

 _P.S. I had the locks changed on your office door and hid the only key to it somewhere in the building. Better get searching. See, I can play games too!_


	14. When I Thought About Home

Simon would never have thought he'd ever again wake up in the morning to see Jordan and Maia Roberts, his now ex-girlfriend, conversing at the kitchen table. And yet, no matter how many times he rubbed his glasses, that was the sight he saw before him as he stepped out of his bedroom.

"Morning, Si." Jordan waved as he noticed Simon approach them. He was tucking into a bowl of cereal while dressed in surprisingly smart attire as Simon tentatively sat down, looking at Maia suspiciously.

"Not that it isn't nice to see you, Maia…" Simon began.

"Calm down, Simon. We were just talking. I'm giving Jordan a lift somewhere, that's all." Maia explained.

"Where?" Simon asked.

"I have a job interview, as it happens. Just bar work but it's something. I mentioned it to Maia the other day and she very kindly offered to take me." Jordan revealed.

"Wow, that's great! I thought you'd have told me." Simon said, almost hurt.

"You have a lot on your plate as it is. It's not that big of a deal." Jordan shrugged.

"Of course it is! This is a great first step in getting back out there a bit whether you get it or not. Though I'm sure you will." Simon smiled.

"I've been training him to be a good interviewee. He'll smash it." Maia nodded firmly. Jordan gave her a sweet, brief smile.

"Look at you two, sneakily spending time together like the good old days." Simon smirked.

"It's not like that." Jordan and Maia said together, unable to look each other in the eye. Simon's smirk grew.

"Sure. I'm gonna go shower." Simon smiled to himself as he headed for the bathroom.

"Okay. Remember you can always turn the temperature down if you get distracted by thoughts of Isabelle." Jordan grinned. Maia held back a laugh as Simon stopped in his tracks, turned back, made an obscene gesture, regretted telling Jordan about his moment with Isabelle at Clary's apartment and hurried into the bathroom.

…

"Am I ever gonna go a day without walking in on you sitting on my desk?" Alec smirked as he walked into his office and saw Isabelle smirking before him.

"Doubt it. Why ruin tradition?" Isabelle grinned momentarily before her expression grew more serious. "Did Luke tell you he's going to see Jocelyn later?"

"Yeah, he got me to write her a note. Not that it'll do her any good." Alec replied.

"I still feel terrible about it. We can't even prove Valentine and Hodge were behind it. Whenever Jace and Simon can't find anything…"

Alec rolled his eyes. "I understand your high opinion of Jace, but I feel you tend to overestimate Simon."

"You've spoken to him maybe three times, what would you know?" Isabelle asked. "Besides, you can never decide whether you want to be nice to him or rude. Would it kill you to at least choose one?"

"I have better uses for my time."

"You seem to have better uses for your time than working here nowadays, too." Isabelle crossed her arms.

"Meaning?" Alec asked.

"Oh, my dearest big brother. You don't work half as much as you used to; you used to work well over the number of hours you're contracted to whereas now you just about scrape by. Is it a case of _what_ you could be doing…or _who_ you could be doing?"

"Please, give me a break." Alec sighed.

"Your little one-night stand guy wasn't a one-night stand, was he?" Isabelle wondered. The redness that came over Alec's face answered her question. "I _knew_ it!"

"It's early days, okay? Casual." Alec insisted.

Isabelle's eyes were alight with excitement. "Like hell it is! Do you not remember what you said when you came out to me? You said you'd never be with anyone no matter how much you liked them in case mom and dad found out somehow. And yet, alas, here we are. I think that _you_ think this is the real deal. This guy must be something special."

"It's…complicated." Alec blushed.

"Oh my god, I'm loving this! Tell me everything! What's his name? I _do_ know him, don't I? I had a feeling before and I'm right, aren't I?" Isabelle interrogated.

"Izzy, please. Can I just…can I just tell you in my own time?" Alec pleaded.

Isabelle noted the fear and anguish in her brother's eyes. She smiled and gently rubbed his arm. "Of course. But…you think this could be, you know… _something_?"

Alec took a moment and found himself smiling. "Yeah. It's certainly…something."

…

Simon walked into Jace's office, briefly glancing at an elderly looking man sat at the desk Jocelyn used to reside behind as he entered. "Who's that?"

"Maryse hired Jocelyn's replacement on my behalf on account of my stubbornness." Jace grumbled as he signed some forms on his desk.

"What's his name?"

"Couldn't tell you."

"Ah." Simon sighed. "…So, uh…you doing okay?"

"Will you ever drop this? I'm fine. I'm pissed about everything with Jocelyn but that's it." Jace stated.

"…Look, I know Clary ending things must suck but you said it yourself before that it meant bringing her into something she -"

"-I'm gonna stop you there, Potter. You bringing up Clary in every conversation we have isn't helping this whole 'forgetting and moving on' thing I'm going for." Jace said.

"She didn't want to end things, you know." Simon said.

"But she did. It's done. Can we talk about anything else?" Jace wondered.

There was a knock on the door. Jace's elderly new receptionist cleared his throat. "There's a visitor here for Mr Lewis. She was informed he was up here so came this way. Shall I send her in?"

"Uh…yeah, okay. Thanks." Jace shrugged as the receptionist slowly departed. "Who's visiting you?"

"I wasn't expecting anyone." Simon said, confused.

A new voice filled the room. "That's because it's a surprise."

Simon and Jace turned to look at the doorway and Simon's face lit up. "Rebecca?!"

"How goes the day, little bro?" Rebecca smiled, opening her arms as Simon rushed to give her a tight hug. As Jace watched, it was clear to him that had the connection not already been established he'd have known the pretty young woman in his office was Simon's sister. She had the same brownness to her hair, brown eyes and even the shape of her eyes were the same as his.

"I can't believe you're here!" Simon grinned. "This is amazing!"

"I got fed up of only seeing you via webcam. It's the school holidays for teachers just the same as the kids so I thought I'd surprise you. You made this place sound so glamorous I just had to see it." Rebecca explained. She leaned closer to Simon and whispered. "Who's the hottie behind the desk?"

"Oh, uh…this is my boss, Jace Wayland. Jace, this is my older sister Rebecca." Simon introduced. Jace stood up and warmly shook Rebecca's hand.

"Lovely to meet you, Rebecca. It's nice to see that there is such thing as an attractive Lewis sibling." Jace smirked. Rebecca laughed while Simon mouthed 'I hate you'.

"I hope I'm not intruding on a busy day or anything." Rebecca stated.

"Not at all! I mean…Jace?" Simon inquired.

"I can do some paperwork, don't worry. Go show your sister around the place." Jace said.

"Awesome, thanks." Simon smiled, turning to Rebecca. "Can you just wait outside for a minute?"

"Of course. Nice to meet you, Jace." Rebecca waved.

"You too." Jace waved. As Rebecca left, lines appeared on his face. "Does she know? That you're not working here legally?"

"Well…" Simon choked. "…No. She majored in Art History then got a teaching job; she doesn't really know law. I told her some mumbo jumbo about having the right qualifications."

"Okay. While we're on the subject, do any of your family suspect anything about you working here?" Jace asked.

"Not really. My mom questioned how I managed to bag such a high-ranking position right away but I told her that it was more of a personality thing than qualifications." Simon explained.

"More of a personality thing? Wow, you really _did_ lie to her." Jace smirked. "Look, just keep your sister out of harm's way; don't let her talk to anyone for too long in case she accidentally drops us in it somehow."

"It'll be fine. Relax." Simon nodded.

"Ah, the good old days when it was physically possible for me to relax…" Jace sighed.

…

"So…how're you doing?" Luke asked, finally breaking the silence that began after Jocelyn had invited him inside. Jocelyn had moved back into her own apartment to give Clary her own space back. All the furniture was just as vibrant and lovely as Luke remembered it being.

Jocelyn sat down next to him on her couch and handed him a segment of a newspaper with various potential jobs circled in a thick black pen. "I've got a few interviews lined up this week."

"That's not an answer, Jocelyn."

"That's because I don't have an answer to give, Lucian." Jocelyn sighed. "I don't know how I'm doing. Good days and bad days and no consistency."

"I got you a few bits and pieces you might like. There's a few notes from people from work too, saying how much they miss you and offering their help." Luke explained, placing a plastic bag in Jocelyn's lap. She smiled softly as she searched through it.

"I have a feeling you forced Alec and Isabelle to write these." Jocelyn smiled.

"…Not Isabelle, no." Luke smirked and Jocelyn laughed lightly.

"Thank you." She nodded appreciatively, rubbing Luke's arm warmly.

"You know I'll always be here for you, whenever, wherever and for whatever. That's something that's never going to change." Luke stated.

"I know." Jocelyn whispered, looking up into Luke's eyes for a moment before pulling him into a hug. "Can you stay? For a little while?"

Luke smiled into Jocelyn's radiant hair. "For as long as you want me."

…

"Clary!" Simon shouted excitedly as he hurried over to his friend's cubicle, Rebecca not far behind. Clary smiled at Simon and stood up. "Clary, this is my sister Rebecca. Rebecca, this is my friend Clary."

"Ah, Clary, yeah. Nice to meet you." Rebecca smiled, shaking Clary's hand.

"Likewise." Clary nodded happily. "Did you, uh…did you just come from Jace's office?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Simon said.

"And boy is that guy _fine_." Rebecca smiled. Simon let out a sigh.

Clary forced a smile. "He's something alright. Is, uh…how's he doing?"

"He's fine. You?" Simon asked.

"Fine. I'm already over it." Clary stated, sitting back down by her computer.

"Oh." Rebecca realised as she read Clary's body language. "I didn't know that you and he were -"

"-We're not. Anymore. It's okay." Clary said. "I didn't realise your sister was in town, Simon."

"Oh, I surprised him. He's always loved surprises." Rebecca explained.

"Have I though?" Simon asked under his breath.

"What a cool thing to do! You should definitely go and get these amazing burgers from a van down the street, best burgers in New York. I swear." Clary stated.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you! I'm excited to see more of the city; I haven't really come here a lot. Mom wants to visit at some point, too." Rebecca announced.

"Oh, joy." Simon groaned.

"Simon, there you are!" Isabelle said as she hurried over to the group. "I, uh…have you seen Alec around?"

"Oh, no. Sorry. He and I don't tend to get along, remember?" Simon said.

"Right, of course. Sorry." Isabelle giggled, turning to Rebecca and offering her hand. "And who's this?"

"I'm Rebecca, Simon's sister. You're Isabelle Lightwood, right? This is amazing. You were in one of my magazines a few weeks back. Trends of the week! You were rocking that dress." Rebecca said excitedly. Simon and Clary looked bewildered.

"Oh, I like you." Isabelle grinned. "Your sister has very good taste, Simon."

"I'm sure she does. Shall we get something to eat, Becks?" Simon suggested and Rebecca nodded fiercely. "Cool. I, uh…I hope you find Alec."

"What? Oh, uh, yeah…thanks. Nice to meet you!" Isabelle smiled at Rebecca as she and Simon walked off, waving goodbye to Clary as they went.

Clary turned to Isabelle and smirked. "Oh. My. God. You have all the hots for Simon."

Isabelle let out a loud laugh. "What? PLEASE."

"Come on. 'Do you know where Alec is'? They've barely ever said two words to each other; you're telling me that wasn't just an excuse to talk to him?" Clary grinned.

"…He might have seen him in passing…" Isabelle said.

"Your babies would be nerdy but beautiful." Clary teased.

"Shut up." Isabelle folded her arms, cheeks turning red.

"Hey, I think it's adorable! There isn't a nicer guy out there." Clary smiled. "…If you really want something to happen, tell him. He'd be an idiot to not feel the same."

Isabelle looked at Clary for a few moments, letting out a tiny smile for just a second. She unfolded her arms. "…I _am_ looking for Alec, though. His phone's off again."

"Maybe he's off with a secret lover?" Clary joked, returning to her work.

Isabelle smirked and rushed towards the elevator.

…

"It really is beautiful here. I can see why you love it." Rebecca smiled as she and Simon sat on a bench in Central Park. After eating at the burger van, Simon bought ice cream for them both and pointed out some of the sights on their stroll towards the park.

"After this we can go back to my apartment if you want? See Jordan?" Simon wondered.

"Yes! I haven't seen him in so long! How is he?" Rebecca asked.

"Really good, actually. He interviewed for a job today, actually. He text me and said it went well. Maia seems to have got him back on track." Simon revealed.

Rebecca's eyes widened. "Maia?! I thought she moved away?"

"She's back for a bit, helping out a friend by working for Lightwood Garroway." Simon said.

"That's great! I always thought they were cute together. Like you and Isabelle Lightwood would be." Rebecca grinned.

Simon sighed. "Not you too."

"Si, your glasses only make it even more obvious that you get heart eyes when you looked at her."

"It's not gonna happen, okay? I…I'm not really looking to get into a relationship right now. At least not with someone I work with. Jace and Clary barely lasted a few days."

"I suppose you never have had much luck there."

"Oi!"

"Am I wrong?"

"…No."

Silence for a moment. Rebecca's face grew serious. "…Mom was thinking of visiting next month sometime."

"I'll have to let her know. I'm pretty busy, you know." Simon shrugged.

"…She says you never visit. You barely even call." Rebecca sighed.

"Like I said -"

"-Simon, I know she can be hard work, but…is phoning her even once a week that difficult? She misses you like crazy. I just…I don't see why you're so reluctant to come home for a visit, or even recognise that it's there waiting for you." Rebecca said, concerned.

Simon looked at his sister and saw the care in her eyes, softening the irritancy he was feeling. _Whenever I think of home all I can think of is that I'm lying to them too; it makes this lie all the more real._ "…I'll try and be better."

"You do miss it, though? Home? I know I do." Rebecca said sadly.

"I miss it. Sometimes. But when I think of home I tend to think of…think of dad." Simon admitted, tears stinging his eyes.

Rebecca, teary herself, took Simon's hand in the bitterness of the wind. "Me too. Just when I think I've actually gotten used to him not being around, something will remind me of the way he smells or the way he couldn't laugh quietly...I guess sometimes I just miss him more than I know how to bear."

"...I almost didn't move here with Jordan, you know. I felt too bad for leaving mom on her own. And with her worrying about me like she clearly is…was I too selfish to come here?" Simon asked fearfully.

Rebecca squeezed his hand. "She's strong, you know that. She doesn't want to see or hear from you because she needs to but because she wants to; you're her _son_. And the closest thing to dad either of us have left."

Simon smiled through his tears. "You think so?"

Rebecca nodded, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "You laugh like him."

Simon put an arm around Rebecca as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Becks."

Through tears of sorrow, Rebecca still smiled with joy. "Love you too, little brother."

They stayed sat there in sweet silence for another half an hour, the hearts beating together to the sound of the memory of their father's laughter.

…

"Alec! Open up!" Isabelle exclaimed, knocking hard on his apartment door. After a few moments, Alec answered it, his hair a mess and wearing only a white vest and navy blue boxer shorts. Isabelle looked at her brother in shock. "…Please tell me your guy isn't here…"

"…What? No. I just, I was napping." Alec said.

"Your phone has been off for HOURS. AGAIN." Isabelle said sternly, pushing past Alec and into the apartment.

"Izzy! Hey!" Alec shouted after her and reached out for her arm.

It was too late. Isabelle stood gobsmacked at the sight of Magnus Bane lying on Alec's couch in nothing but boxers. At the sight of her he immediately shot up and folded his arms to cover his chest. "Isabelle! Um…nice to see you again."

Isabelle slowly turned around to look at Alec. "You have _got_ to be kidding. Magnus Bane? Have you forgotten who he works for?"

"Of course I haven't, but that's only a trivial thing." Alec justified.

"Trivial? Alec, you know what his bosses have done to our company! To JOCELYN!" Isabelle shouted.

"Exactly! His bosses, not him! He had no part in any of it." Alec said.

"Are you forgetting the time he delivered us papers framing Jace?" Isabelle asked.

"I didn't agree with that, can I just say?" Magnus added.

"You still did it though, didn't you Boy George?" Isabelle spat.

"Izzy, please. You're being rude." Alec warned.

"At least I'm not shacking up with the enemy!" Isabelle shouted.

"We don't talk about work. We never have; it's the one rule we decided on." Alec said.

"Like that makes any difference! He's probably gone through all your things while you've been asleep or in the shower!" Isabelle said.

"Actually, neither of us has showered while in the other's company. Well, not _alone_ , at least." Magnus smirked and Alec blushed.

"Get me a bucket." Isabelle groaned, her face tightening. "Alec, I'm not letting you spend another minute in the company of the enemy."

"You don't get to decide this, Izzy."

"You're clearly under his spell and not thinking straight. Look at him, I bet he's one of those people who believe in magic and all that crazy crap." Isabelle glared at Magnus.

"Now you're just being ridiculous." Magnus said.

" _Me,_ ridiculous? Take a look at that hairstyle of yours!"

"Izzy, enough!" Alec snapped. "There's nothing dodgy or crazy going on, okay? We just…I just…I promise you there's nothing to worry about."

"But -"

Alec stepped closer to his sister and whispered. "I really, _really_ like him, Izzy."

Isabelle studied Alec's face, and could see the genuineness in it. Magnus truly was Alec's escape from the burden of life. She turned to Magnus and pointed a perfectly filed nail at him. "If I get even a slight whiff that you're up to something, you're a dead man."

"Understood." Magnus nodded.

"Good. And one last thing, where the hell did you get that eyeliner because it's gorgeous?"

"…The Praetor Palladium down on Fifth Avenue."

"Thank you." Isabelle nodded, glaring at Magnus one more time because turning around, shooting Alec a warning look and strutting out.

As she slammed the door behind her, Alec sighed. "I'm so sorry, that was mortifying."

"It's alright, Alexander, no harm done. She won't tell anyone?" Magnus wondered.

"No, she's a pain in the ass but she's a loyal pain in the ass." Alec confirmed.

"It's nice that she cares so much about you. That gives me hope I'll be able to get along with her one day." Magnus said.

"How so?"

"She cares deeply for you." Magnus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Alec's neck. "That's something we have in common."

Alec blushed as he closed the gap between his and Magnus' lips and fell back onto the couch.

…

Luke smiled to himself as he stepped into the elevator and headed up to his office. He'd stayed with Jocelyn for most of the day, which had put him behind on some paperwork he'd wanted to do, but he didn't mind staying overnight to do it. Jocelyn's laugh was more than enough payment for a late night.

The doors opened a few floors below where he needed to go as a young woman unfamiliar to him got in and pressed the button to head down to the ground floor. The elevator continued up given Luke's floor was closer. The woman turned to him with a smile. "You're Luke Garroway, right? I saw you on the website."

Surprised, Luke smiled and nodded. "That's me."

"Thought so. Simon says you're very kind and you made him feel very welcome."

"Simon Lewis?"

"Yeah, I'm his sister. I came to visit him but I need to get back home so I left him to get back to work." Rebecca explained.

"I see. Well, your brother is a very talented asset to the company. He slotted in very well." Luke said.

"I'm glad. I still can't believe he actually made it, you know? He always wanted to go into law, and he was always so driven but, still…Simon's not one to let not being able to afford law school stop him in his tracks." Rebecca said.

Luke's blood ran cold. "What?"

"I guess he had to work extra hard to gain such a high rank in the company, right? I'm not sure I understand how it all works. Simon mentioned something about alternative qualifications or something." Rebecca looked worried. "Right?"

Luke smiled. "Right." The elevator doors opened on his floor and he stepped out. "Nice to meet you, have a safe trip home."

"Thank you very much!" Rebecca smiled as the elevator doors closed. "You have a lovely company!"

As the metal doors shut tight, Luke's forced smile faded along with his previously happy mood. His hands squeezed so tightly into fists that his nails cut into his skin, he marched down the corridor and towards Robert and Maryse's office.


	15. The World Can Overcome A Man

Robert and Maryse walked purposefully into Jace's office to find him writing at his desk.

"Where were you?" Robert asked immediately.

Jace looked up. "Sorry?"

"We just had a board meeting. Where were you?" Maryse asked.

"We did?" Jace wondered, searching through his computer. "It's not on my schedule."

"It should've been." Robert grumbled.

"If it's not on my schedule, I'm not gonna know about it, am I Rob?" Jace argued. "Albert must've forgot to put it in the schedule for today."

Maryse looked back at Jace's elderly receptionist working at his desk. "I don't think his name is Albert."

"It changes every day. It does for me at least. It's the only way to keep the world's most boring man somewhat interesting." Jace said.

"If it's not working out with him, we can get someone else." Robert said.

"Except no one's gonna compare when I've already had the best secretary there is." Jace said sternly.

"We all miss Jocelyn, Jace, but we've lost her. We have to look forward." Maryse said.

"Do we? There must be some way of getting her back. There has to be." Jace said, ignoring the voice in his head screaming at him that he knows of a way to get her back but could never do it.

"I'll have the minutes from the meeting sent to you." Robert stated. "Just…you need to stop fixating on the past. This firm is still surviving without Jocelyn, you know why? Because it HAS to. It's about time you accepted that."

With that, Robert turned and stormed out. Maryse sighed, moving to go after him but changing her mind. Jace silently watched the open doorway where Robert had just gone before speaking up. "I could smell the alcohol on him from here."

"He's…it's under control." Maryse said.

"I've heard that before. Is this becoming a problem again?" Jace asked.

"Of course not. He's just under a lot of pressure…we all are. Don't worry about him." Maryse answered.

"I tend not to."

"Jace…" Maryse groaned. Jace had returned to his work, ignoring the fact that she was still stood there. Throwing her arms up, she walked out of the room, turning back to see sadness on Jace's face instead of the usual smugness she had been used to for years. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled. "Luke? It's me. We need to act. We need to find a way to get Jocelyn back."

…

"Why did I let you convince me to finally get Netflix? I have NO free time anymore." Clary chuckled to herself as she chugged her third coffee that morning.

"All I did was enlighten your life. Binge watching is the future, Fray." Simon grinned.

"Don't I know it…" Clary smirked, her face lighting up as she saw someone approaching from behind Simon. Simon turned, expecting to see Jace, but instead he was faced with Luke towering over him.

"Can I talk to you?" Luke asked, looking Simon dead in the eyes, his expression flat.

A nervousness filled Simon, even though he didn't think he'd done anything to upset him. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

Flashing a smile at Clary before leaving, Luke led Simon down the corridor and into a storage cupboard, gently closing the door behind them.

"What's up?" Simon asked before growing pale as Luke's strong hands pinned him up against the wall.

"You son of a bitch." Luke seethed.

"…I…what…w-what's going on?" Simon asked, startled and afraid.

"I went to see Robert and Maryse yesterday to tell them myself. Then I realised that it should be _your_ responsibility." Luke stated angrily.

"…I…I don't understand." Simon stuttered, a bead of sweat running down his brow.

Luke leaned up close against Simon, pushing his elbows into the wall. " _I know_."

Simon felt ten times heavier than he actually was. "…Know w-w-what?"

"Don't you dare." Luke hissed. "I doubt there's blood running through your veins, is there? There can't be any room for blood when there's so much bullshit in there."

"Luke, I -"

"I don't want to hear it. You have until the end of the day to tell Robert and Maryse what a disgusting, fraudster piece of crap you are or I'll tell them myself. I'm sick of people abusing the power this business gives them." Luke stated, releasing his iron grip on Simon before storming out of the cupboard, leaving Simon to tremble in the silence.

…

"You busy?" Alec asked, peering into Jace's office.

"Of course I'm not." Jace smirked. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Benjamin Rakewell." Alec stated smugly as he walked further into the room.

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while." Jace said.

"Well get used to hearing it again." Alec smiled. "I convinced the judge to retrial his case."

"Holy shit! How'd you managed that?" Jace asked excitedly.

"I may or may not have seen him making out with a guy at a club last week and I may or may not have used that to my advantage and put on a slightly more…flirtatious…attitude than I had previously when talking to him." Alec revealed.

"He _is_ gay! I knew it! But wait, you suck at flirting."

"I used to, yes. I, uh…I've gotten better, I guess." Alec blushed.

"And you went to a CLUB? With who?" Jace demanded.

"Doesn't matter. What matters is we've got a retrial to prepare for. I visited Benjamin in prison and he's all for it, obviously." Alec said.

"Of course, the guy got sent down for a murder he didn't commit and still has four years left on his sentence. I still can't believe you swung this!"

"We've been telling him for years that not all the evidence had been checked for DNA but when you phrase it in a certain way -"

"- _FABULOUSLY_ -"

"-He listens. And shut up." Alec grinned.

A small bang caused Jace and Alec to turn and face the doorway, where Simon had crashed into the door on his way in. His hair was soaked with sweat, his hands were shaking and his breathing was quick and heavy.

"Simon! What's wrong?" Jace asked, leaping from his desk and rushing over as Simon fell against the door and sunk to the floor.

"W-What? Can't…h-hear…" Simon whispered.

Alec knelt down next to Simon, focused and calm. "Simon, can you hear me? Simon?"

Simon turned slightly in Alec's direction but said nothing.

"What the hell's wrong with him? Should I call an ambulance?" Jace asked, panicked.

"I think he's having a panic attack." Alec said. "It should pass soon, but it depends on how long he's been like this. Simon, just try your best to breathe, okay? Can you squeeze my hand? Is it okay to touch you?"

Simon locked eyes with Alec and managed to nod, his shirt caked with moisture.

Alec gripped Simon's hand and felt him squeeze it. "Okay, good. You're gonna be just fine, Simon, alright? You're having a panic attack. This is going to pass soon, okay? It might feel like you can't breathe but I promise you can. Jace…JACE."

Jace had been staring at Simon in shock, going white himself as he sat frozen. Alec's words snapped him back to reality. "Yeah? Yeah?"

"Can you get some wet paper towels or something? Cold water too. There's bottled water in a fridge in my office." Alec said.

"…Yeah, uh…yeah. You're, uh, you're gonna be fine, Si." Jace mumbled and rushed out.

Twenty five minutes later, Simon still hadn't returned to normal. Jace couldn't summon any words as he knelt by Simon and watched Alec call an ambulance.

…

Robert sat in silence on a park bench, taking in the birdsong with his eyes closed as the gentle wind caressed his flushed cheeks. It was rare he found himself needing to find a tranquil spot to relax and process his life, but sometimes you can't help but need time to think. He didn't even open his eyes when he felt someone sit at the opposite end of the bench. His eyes did open, however, when the new arrival spoke.

"I didn't know you were one for meditation, Robert. It doesn't really suit the image you're going for."

Robert's calmness faded the second he glanced upon the awful smirk of Valentine Morgenstern. "How did you know I was here?"

"I always know where all of you are. You have to keep your eyes on the competition. Well, I say _competition_ …" Valentine grinned.

"I'm not in the mood for your games, Valentine." Robert said sternly.

"You never are." Valentine said, turning to face Robert. "How's Jocelyn doing? Coping okay?"

"You bastard."

"Well that isn't a nice thing to say to an old friend."

"Don't talk like any of us ever actually meant anything to you." Robert snapped.

"I know you don't believe me, but I truly value the friendships we all once had." Valentine said.

"If that were true, you would never have tried to tear us all apart. You brought Jocelyn's world crashing down." Robert seethed.

"You can't prove I did any of that, Robert, be sensible. I'm sure what happened to Jocelyn was just a way of reminding you how fragile your firm really is; how easily toppled kings and queens can be. You just need to know the weak spots to aim for. Let's hope your firm behaves so no one feels compelled to take another strike at Lightwood Garroway – I'm not sure it could survive much more." Valentine expressed with inner glee.

"I swear to god, if you keep up with this attack on my firm…"

"You'll do what?" Valentine asked smugly, standing up and smoothing the creases on his suit. "Lovely seeing you Robert. Just thought I'd check to see how you were is all. I love the cologne you're wearing, by the way. What is it? Whiskey or rum?"

Valentine turned and walked off; Robert didn't even need to see his face to know he was smiling. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his flask – empty. Surely he couldn't have drunk that much already? It was barely noon. It must have leaked out somehow. That must be it. Easy enough to replace, either way.

Robert tried to calm himself again, but not even the soft breeze of a beautiful day could soothe him now.

…

"How do you propose we do this? We'd tried finding ways to get Jocelyn back before." Luke said, leaning against his desk as Maryse paced up and down the room.

"There must be something we looked over. Is there not any position we can give her? Maybe invent a new job outside of the terms 'law'?" Maryse speculated.

"Morgenstern Starkweather would be on it like a shot however we tried to bring her back. No one wants Jocelyn back here as much as me – she belongs here – but I just can't see a way it can work." Luke sighed.

"Jace is lost without her, you know. I suppose it's only lucky he still has Simon to work closely with." Maryse said.

"Yeah. Lucky." Luke said under his breath.

Alec burst into the room. "There you are. Where's dad?"

"Still out on lunch. Why?" Maryse asked.

"Simon's been rushed to hospital." Alec said.

Luke stood up straight. "What?"

"He had a massive panic attack. He came into Jace's office in a really bad way. We sat with him for almost half an hour but he wasn't improving; that combined with the fact that he was already in the middle of an attack even before he found us was worrying so we called an ambulance. Jace is heading there with him now. I'm gonna phone Izzy." Alec explained.

"Isabelle? Why? It's her day off." Maryse said.

"I know, but…trust me, she'll want to know." Alec said. "I'll tell Clary too. Jace said she and Simon are good friends and that she'd want to know too."

"I'll, uh…I'll tell Clary. You just phone Isabelle." Luke said, his heart thumping.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Maryse asked.

"I'd assume so. From what I'm gathering he's never had a panic attack before so maybe a bit of mental scarring. I've never seen an attack like it and I've seen plenty…well, you know that." Alec said sadly. "I'll phone Izzy now."

Alec hurried out of the room. Maryse sat down in a nearby chair. "Poor man. What brought this on?"

"…Could, uh, could be a lot of things." Luke said, hating himself inside. _I did this._

…

"Well, this is all very embarrassing." Simon grumbled as he lay back in a hospital bed. His panic attack had been severe and he'd been allowed to remain in a room until it passed. He was quickly on the mend and in the process of being discharged.

"Don't be embarrassed, happens to the best of us." Jace said, sitting on an uncomfortable chair next to the bed.

"Really? So this has happened to you?"

"Of course not, but I'm in a whole other tier even beyond the best." Jace smirked.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"So…what brought all this on? I mean, if you're okay to talk about it."

Simon took a deep breath. "Luke knows. About me."

Jace was shocked to silence for a while. "…How did he find out?"

"No idea. He said I had until the end of the day to tell Robert and Maryse or he'd tell them himself." Simon revealed.

"Simon!" Clary yelped as she burst into the room with Luke just behind her. She flung her arms around Simon and squeezed him tight.

"The hug is nice, but I'd rather not experience being unable to breathe again so soon, Fray." Simon winced and Clary jumped back.

"Sorry, I…I was so worried! Are you okay?" Clary asked nervously.

"I'll be fine, yeah. I think the worst has come and gone." Simon nodded, turning to Jace. "I have my knight in shining armour to thank for getting me here."

"Shut up, I didn't do a thing." Jace said shyly.

"You got him here. That's a big thing." Clary said, briefly looking Jace in the eyes and smiling. He returned the smile before looking down at the floor.

"The only thing hurt now is my pride." Simon said, briefly glancing at Luke, who hadn't said a word since he'd entered.

"I'm just…I'm just so glad you're okay." Clary smiled, hugging Simon again.

"Me too, as it happens." Simon grinned.

"Clary, do you mind if I have a moment with these two?" Luke asked, finally speaking up. Clary nodded, despite her clear confusion, and made her way out of the room after kissing the top of Simon's head and waving quickly at Jace. Luke let out a large sigh. "I'm sorry. I know I was the cause of this."

"You have nothing to apologise for. If anyone should be sorry, it's me." Simon admitted.

"…Look, I'm not happy about what you've been doing at my firm, and I have every intention in the truth coming out eventually. But you're a damn good lawyer and – most importantly – Clary's just lost having her mother around at work, and I can't destroy her completely by getting rid of you too. Not yet. Just…just be careful about this." Luke said solemnly.

"Thank you." Simon said appreciatively. Luke simply nodded; it was obvious he was still unhappy with Simon, but people had always said he followed his heart more than his head.

"I take it you knew about this." Luke said to Jace.

"…Maybe."

Luke groaned. "Anyone else know?"

"Simon's roommate, Maia Roberts…and us." Jace revealed.

"How did you find out?" Simon asked.

"Lying to your sister about your job didn't prove to be all that effective." Luke said.

"Oh, Rebecca." Simon sighed.

"She was hot." Jace nodded.

"Please don't." Simon grumbled.

"Is he here? Is he dead?!" A loud but elegant voice filled the outside corridor. Isabelle.

Soon enough, the door opened and Clary walked back in with Isabelle and Alec in tow. Isabelle rushed over to Simon and hugged him. "You're alive! Thank god!"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Simon smiled, gently wrapping his arms around her. "Thanks to your brother."

"Yeah, you were pretty incredible, Alec. Who knew you could talk in a manner that wasn't layered in subtext that said 'I want you dead'." Jace smirked.

"Whatever. I was hardly just gonna sit there and do nothing, was I?" Alec said. "Besides…Max used to get panic attacks so I knew what I was doing."

A sadness filled the room for a brief moment. Isabelle had sat up onto the bed next to Simon and shuffled close to him, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by everyone in the room.

"Seriously Alec, thank you." Simon smiled.

"…Uh, no problem. I'm…I suppose I'm glad you're okay." Alec shrugged.

"Nicest thing you've ever said to me." Simon chuckled. Alec let out a small smile and shook his head.

Quickly enough Simon was discharged and ready to go; Luke and Alec headed back to work while Jace offered to run Simon, Clary and Isabelle back once Simon got sorted.

"I need a glass a wine." Isabelle stated as she helped Simon put his suit jacket back on.

"Just one? I could use about fifty." Clary smiled and Jace laughed lightly, secretly pleasing her.

"I could do with a beer. Or a cider. Or both." Simon chuckled.

"I suppose we could stop at a bar on the way; I can drop you all home no problem. If you're feeling up to it Si?" Jace asked.

"Honestly, I'm fine now. The weight has been lifted." Simon nodded, grateful for what Luke had said to him earlier. He couldn't help but replay Luke's words over and over in his head; just as Clary may need him around, he needed her too. He needed all of the friends he'd made. And yet it seemed his days with them were numbered. He didn't dare think about that dreaded day too much.

"But if you drive you won't be able to drink." Isabelle noted as she looked at Jace.

"Drinking myself is nowhere near as fun as watching all three of you get pissed, believe me." Jace smirked.

"I can hear the bottle calling to me. Let's get going." Clary smiled, squeezing Simon's hand delicately as she made her way out of the room, with Jace following.

"Scary day, huh?" Jace said awkwardly, not certain starting a conversation was for the best.

"Yeah. I'm glad he had you and Alec there for him though." Clary nodded.

"Like I said, Alec did all the hard work." Jace shrugged.

"That's not true." Clary said, stopping in the middle of the corridor and putting her hands onto Jace's shoulders. "Give yourself more credit."

Jace looked into her eyes and smiled. He'd missed being this close to her. "…Clary, I…"

"…What?"

"…Let's go." Jace muttered, backing away from Clary's grip and continuing on down the corridor. Clary sadly watched him go for a few seconds before following just as Simon and Isabelle walked out of the room and made their way out.

"Sorry to ruin your day off." Simon said, embarrassed.

"I'm just really glad you're okay. I was terrified when Alec called me. I know it was stupid to be so worried but…I guess it just reminded me of Max and…and the thought of you hurting…I couldn't really bear it." Isabelle admitted.

"It's comforting to know people care, at least." Simon chuckled.

"Well, we do. _I_ do. A lot." Isabelle said meaningfully.

"I care about you a lot too." Simon smiled, looking into Isabelle's intoxicatingly dark eyes. Isabelle said nothing more as she gently pressed her lips against his cheek.

It took them a few moments to realise they had stopped walking and had been holding hands since they'd left the hospital room. They sprung apart and hurried down the corridor to catch up with Jace and Clary.

…

That night, Simon and Jordan sat in front of the TV with a hot chocolate. Simon had caught Jordan staring at him for the sixth time that evening.

"I swear to god, Jordan, I'm FINE. Stop it!" Simon stated.

"I worry, man, that's all! I just…maybe all of this just isn't worth it? If it's making you unhealthy…" Jordan began.

"It's fixed, okay?" Simon said.

"For how long?" Jordan asked worriedly.

Simon shrugged and pretended to pay full attention to the television. Deep down, he knew he didn't have an answer.

…

"Why don't you go to bed? I can bring you in a tea or something? I have plenty of flavours to choose from." Magnus suggested as he and Alec sat on his extravagant couch. He took Alec's hand in his. "You look exhausted."

"It's just been a long day, that's all. Not how I expected things to go." Alec said.

"It sounds to me like you were extraordinary." Magnus said soothingly.

"It brought back too many memories, I guess. Painful memories."

"Pain shapes us; we should never be sorry for pain that makes a difference. If you hadn't have faced that pain and come through the other side, who knows how long Simon's ordeal would have lasted?" Magnus said.

"I guess."

"Alexander…" Magnus whispered into Alec's neck. "…I wish you could see yourself as I do."

Alec rolled his head around to face Magnus' and kissed him passionately. "…You know, tea does sound pretty good right now."

Magnus smiled. "Any flavour preference?"

"Surprise me."

"As I always endeavour to do." Magnus grinned, kissing Alec again before getting up to prepare the tea. Alec watched him go with a smile, happy that for the first time in a long while he had light in his life to guide him out of the darkness.


	16. And I Grew Up

"Cheers." Jace smiled victoriously as he and Alec knocked their glasses of champagne together in his office and downed the contents. Simon walked in and looked at them in surprise.

"Um…something tells me that's not lemonade." Simon smirked.

"It's champagne, Potter. It's what you drink when you celebrate a resounding victory." Jace grinned.

"That guy who was wrongly imprisoned for murder? You actually got him out?" Simon asked.

"Don't sound so surprised, Simon, we destroyed them in court. Benjamin Rakewell is a free man now, finally. Even got him compensation; he'd never have gotten sent down if they'd actually opened their eyes and took care when studying the evidence they carelessly locked away. I bet they're feeling pretty dumb." Alec smiled.

"The law is hard, but it is the law." Jace stated.

"I guess congratulations truly are in order, then. I wouldn't recommend getting too drunk, though." Simon said.

"We're only having the one, unfortunately." Jace said. "You want some?"

"Oh, no thanks. I think it's disgusting. I only drink it when I have to keep up appearances." Simon admitted.

Alec rolled his eyes and let out a small chuckle. "Just when I was coming round to you. See you guys later."

Alec patted Jace on the back and nodded at Simon as he made his way out of the office. Simon watched him go and turned back to Jace. "Alec seems…pretty okay with me."

"I know. Not sure I like it." Jace smirked. "I guess your little hospital trip made him rethink things. That, and he sees the way Isabelle looks at you."

"You mean the way she looks at every guy?" Simon shrugged.

"…You really don't see it, do you?"

"…I…I don't know. I just…she could have _anyone_. Why would she be interested in me?" Simon wondered.

Jace was silent for a while. "I hope that was rhetorical because I've got nothing."

"Thanks." Simon rolled his eyes. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did. There's a tradition here that once a year an associate is randomly selected via a computer program to be put in charge of hosting a dinner for the board of the firm, all the top dogs. They have to organise the menu, the venue and all of it." Jace explained.

"…And I've been chosen?" Simon sighed.

"You're a smart cookie, aren't you?" Jace smirked.

"Oh, crap. How do I get out of it?" Simon begged.

"Sorry Spectacles, there's no way out of this maze. It's on the 18th of this month as it is every year." Jace said.

"…That's in ONE WEEK!" Simon exclaimed.

"Yes it is. You should probably start organising and sending out the invitations right away." Jace suggested.

"You don't say…I don't know anything about this kind of stuff! Any advice?"

"Get a new suit, yours is still shit."

"COME ON JACE!"

"Hey, I'm as clueless as you; thank god I never got chosen before I got promoted." Jace shrugged.

"They could've at least given me more notice!"

"Yeah, uh…my secretary Gerard was told two weeks ago and forgot to pass on the message." Jace winced.

"…His name's Gerard?" Simon asked.

"Could be. He looks like a Gerard."

…

Maryse sat in silence at her desk, reading the file in her hands yet again, hoping she'd be able to finally take it all in. As soon as she'd read the name of the client she knew what it would mean. She knew what would have to happen. She wasn't prepared to see the woman's face, and had spent a few years happily thinking she would never have to again.

Robert walked in as silent as a windless day. He stopped and looked at her. She couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Maryse."

"We're not taking this case."

"It's an easy win." Robert said softly.

"I don't care. We both know everything else about it would be far from easy. You know she's come to us on purpose, don't you?" Maryse asked.

"She came to us because we're the best."

"BULLSHIT. Why am I not surprised you'd make excuses for her? Nothing ever changes." Maryse snapped.

"Maryse, please."

"This isn't a discussion. We're turning her away. Morgenstern Starkweather can happily take her for all I care; they deserve each other." Maryse hissed, getting up and forcing the file into Robert's hands. "Get this very far away from me."

Robert tried to speak, but words wouldn't come. He had no idea what he could possibly say. He walked out of the office and into Luke's. Luke was sat writing at his desk, looking up as Robert came in. "What have you got there?"

"One for the reject pile. Maryse and I don't think it's worth it." Robert sighed, handing the file to Luke.

"I see." Luke nodded, placing the file in a red cardboard box at the end of his desk among a few other files. "You okay? You look…off."

"I'm fine." Robert stated, walking out without another word – the classic sign that Robert Lightwood was anything but fine.

…

Simon popped his head into Isabelle's office. She was pacing around the space behind her desk, calmly speaking into her phone, twirling her hair with the fingers on her free hand.

"Of course, Mr Haberworthy. That won't be a cause for concern, I can assure you. Of course! I give you my word. Okay, great! I'll see you next Tuesday. Goodbye, Mr Haberworthy."

Hanging up, she turned around and smiled at Simon, waving him into the room.

"Mr…Haberworthy?" Simon grinned.

"Don't; I've only just gotten to the stage where I can say it without smiling." Isabelle giggled. "Did you need something?"

"I have a massive favour to ask, actually. I was gonna ask Clary since she's a big foodie but she's got the week off." Simon began.

"Yeah, she took Jocelyn away for a few days. What's up?" Isabelle asked.

"I'm the loser who's been chosen to host the annual dinner for the board next week, except I've only just found out." Simon sighed.

Isabelle smiled. "I see why you've come to me."

"After I remembered Clary was away, I did a bit of research and two years ago…"

"…I hosted the dinner. You are correct." Isabelle finished.

"And they're still talking about it to this day." Simon added.

"Correct again. I rocked it." Isabelle grinned.

"I was hoping you could help me with mine? I have next to no time to organise it and I'm useless with this sort of thing and Jace isn't any help. He knows how to impress people just like you, but you don't do it by being an ass. I'll owe you one." Simon pleaded shyly.

"You already do, remember? I still haven't called in the favour you owe me from when I kicked your ass at that race back to my apartment." Isabelle smiled.

"Then I'll owe you two." Simon begged. "Please?"

Isabelle's eyes glowed. "Fine. I'll help."

"You will? Oh, Izzy, I…you're amazing." Simon smiled with relief.

"I know." Isabelle chuckled, pulling a folder out from a set of drawers under her desk and placing it on the desk in front of Simon. "Have a seat, Lewis. This is everything we'll need to organise."

Simon slowly sat down opposite Isabelle, fixated on the glittery pink folder, crammed with papers and cuttings. "It's beautiful…what is it?"

"This is the ultimate guide to hosting a dinner for the board. I put it together two years ago in preparation for my dinner and there was no way I was just going to throw something so beautiful away. We have profiles on each board member – which I keep up to date – with all their interests, preferences, friends etcetera. We have the menus from all the top-rated restaurants in the local area, we have invitation designs, we have coupons…we have everything." Isabelle explained, flicking through all the pages of her masterpiece.

"Pretty sure you're my favourite person in the world." Simon smiled, still looking at the file. Isabelle looked up from it to look at him for a moment, smiled, and returned to the task at hand.

"And you have something even better than what's in here." Isabelle stated. "You have me. You mention my name to anyone you deal with and they'll die before whatever they produce is less than perfect."

"This is amazing, Izzy. I…I don't know how to thank you." Simon said.

"Well, you owe me two favours now, so there's that. Plus, I'll be at the bloody dinner since mom and dad will be there, so I want it to be the best it can be. Make sure there's lots of wine." Isabelle nodded.

"Not champagne?" Simon suggested.

"Ew, no. That stuff's awful – for keeping up appearances only." Isabelle said.

Simon looked at her and smiled widely, saying nothing.

…

Alec walked into Luke's office with a confused expression. "Have you seen my mom and dad?"

Luke looked up from his desk. "Not for an hour or so. I think they went out for lunch. Are they okay? They've both been a bit iffy this morning."

"Oh, really? Uh…I think so." Alec shrugged. "I was hoping to get a case off of them since Jace and I nailed the last one. Nothing's been sent my way."

"That's the attitude I like to see from you, much better than sulky Alec." Luke smirked.

"Yeah, yeah." Alec chuckled, walking up to Luke's desk and noting the pile of files in the red cardboard box. "What about those?"

"That's the reject pile. Robert, Maryse and I put cases we don't think will benefit us in there. You can't afford to fight everyone's battle if the odds are stacked high enough against you." Luke explained.

"Mind if I take a look anyway?" Alec asked, genuinely interested in seeing what doesn't make the cut at Lightwood Garroway.

"Uh, sure. I guess. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes on them can offer up something we missed." Luke said. Alec reached over and into the box, pulling out a few files from the top of the cluster and leaning against the wall as he opened the first.

After a few minutes, Alec piped up. "Who threw out the one at the very top?"

"Your mom and dad, why?"

"Because this is an easy win. Look." Alec said, handing the file to Luke, who ran over it by himself for a minute or so.

"You're right." Luke said, puzzled. "The evidence against is circumstantial."

"Why would they throw it away? They might as well throw away a whole client's fee from the firm's bank account." Alec argued.

"They must have made a mistake. You'll have to ask them." Luke suggested.

Alec nodded, thanking Luke and taking the file back to his office.

…

Jace walked up to Simon's cubicle to see him circling dishes on five different menus laid out in front of him. "Having fun?"

"Of course Nicki Saxon is the only board member to not like lamb. Thanks Nikki." Simon groaned.

"I see you're upholding your manly image as always." Jace smirked, gesturing at the glittery pink folder by Simon's computer.

"It's Izzy's from when she hosted the dinner a few years back; she gave it to me to help me organise mine. I've sorted out four of the five courses, negotiated table space and booked reservations at Yoshi Palace. Clary and I are hand-making the invitations this weekend when she's back from her trip with Jocelyn." Simon explained.

"Oh, she's not here?" Jace asked, turning to the empty cubicle Clary would normally be. "I hadn't noticed."

"I'm sure you hadn't. Aren't you two in a good place now, though? She doesn't say your name with detestation anymore." Simon wondered.

"Yeah, we talked at the hospital a bit and since then things have gotten a bit better. Still awkward as hell, but no bad blood. I hope." Jace said.

"The only way your relationship could be more soap opera was if you found out you were siblings." Simon joked.

"Speaking of relationships, Izzy must be so into you if she let you have her precious sparkly folder. Gotta judge her taste." Jace smirked.

"Please, she was just being kind. And shut up." Simon said.

"Isabelle isn't kind. She's passionate. She's either passionate in her love for you or in her hatred of you. There's no inbetween. Trust me. See this?" Jace asked, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a three inch scar along his lower arm. "Isabelle gave me that when I so much as _touched_ that folder. She sliced me with a metal ruler."

"We both know nothing can happen with us either way. Look at you and Clary. It's guaranteed to end in disaster." Simon sighed.

"I know, I…Izzy is like a sister to me, and I really do think she likes you. I'm just trying to work out a way she doesn't get hurt by all of this. It's so rare she genuinely cares for someone and who are we to throw that back in her face?" Jace asked. Simon stayed silent. "…Good luck with your organising, I can hardly wait for the big day. It better not be shit."

…

As soon as Alec saw Robert and Maryse solemnly exit the elevator and head towards their office, he rushed out to meet them. "Hey, I've been waiting for you to get back."

"Sorry son, we've been busy." Robert said.

"Good work on the murder retrial. I take it you've been wanting a new case?" Maryse asked as the three of them headed into the office.

"Yeah, and I found one. In the pile of cases you were going to reject, of all places. This is an easy win! I can handle it." Alec said, handing the file to Maryse. As she opened it her expression fell, and Robert didn't need to read it to know which one it was.

"We're not taking that case, Alec. It was not a mistake to reject it. We'll find you something worth your time." Maryse stated.

"…Why? That's a quick buck for the firm and justice for a client. She'd called the landlord about the problems with the heating for months with no evidence of him ever even attempting to repair it. The phone records are all there and a written note!" Alec argued.

"ALEC. No means no. Respect that." Maryse said firmly.

Alec looked to Robert, who shook his head and looked at the floor. "Alec…just listen to your mother."

Alec was silent for a moment. "What am I missing here? I can't see any reason to turn our backs on this. Luke doesn't either."

"This is beyond Luke's understanding and yours, so just leave it." Maryse warned.

"I think I should get a say in what cases I take, not you! Jace gets to!" Alec exclaimed.

"AND THERE IT IS! THE JACE CARD! AGAIN. Maybe, Alec, just maybe Jace gets that right because he LISTENS to our orders!" Maryse shouted angrily, taking Robert and Alec by surprise.

"…No he doesn't! It's JACE. He does it his own way and comes out on top, that's why we love him." Alec said.

"Exactly. He gets the job done. A skill you've yet to master." Maryse snapped.

"Maryse…" Robert intervened.

"No! You drop this right now, Alec. I am telling you for the last time! This is NOT a debate. Now grow up and accept it!" Maryse shouted.

An awful silence filled the room.

"…I want to know what's going on. The truth. Now." Alec demanded sternly, unable to look Maryse in the eye.

"…It's not for you to know." Robert stated.

"Like hell it's not! It can't be about the case itself, the evidence is all there…so it's the client? Brenda Highsmith?" Alec asked, his anger hiding the hurt.

"No. Look, Alec…please…" Robert attempted.

"Not her? So the one who recommended her to us, then? Her sister, Annamarie?" Alec questioned.

Robert and Maryse were silent and still. They had both gone pale.

"…Who's Annamarie Highsmith? Why is she the reason you won't let me take this case and do my job that you both clearly think I'm so inept at…" Alec began.

"That's not true!" Robert argued.

"I didn't see you come passionately to my defence just now, did I?" Alec asked argumentatively.

"I've had enough of this." Maryse sighed.

"That makes two of us." Alec said. "I'm not leaving until I get answers."

"Answers aren't always worth the struggle to get them." Robert muttered.

"Then stop me from struggling to get them." Alec retaliated. "Who is this woman to you two?"

"No one. She's no one." Robert spat, his fury sudden and shocking.

"Just _tell me_!" Alec shouted in frustration.

"You do NOT want to know this Alec! You're too young to understand it all!" Robert growled.

"You still think so little of me, don't you? Both of you! I'm not a child anymore! I'm the age you both were when you got into law, for crying out loud! Can you just…just…just SEE ME? I'm your son and I'm here and…I'm not a quiet little twelve year old anymore! I'm…I'm not Max." Alec yelled, tearing up.

Maryse's face turned to one of scorn. "Don't you DARE bring Max into this."

"At least I act like he actually existed." Alec seethed.

Robert wouldn't have believed Maryse was capable of hitting her son if he hadn't just seen it with his own eyes. The smack as her hand hit his cheek echoed throughout the room.

Alec staggered backwards in shock. Maryse stared at him sternly, her face unreadable.

"Are you alright?" Robert asked, walking towards Alec. Alec held up a hand to stop him.

"Izzy and I aren't your babies anymore." Alec said bitterly, walking up into Maryse's face. "You're losing your control over us and that drives you insane. I'm glad Max doesn't have to suffer through having you as a mother like we had to."

"ALEXANDER!" Robert raged.

"I idolised you, mom. I truly did. You and dad. I adored both of you. But things changed, and I grew up. Izzy will see it soon enough. She'll see the monsters you're becoming and I will do everything in my power to protect her from you." Alec spat.

Maryse looked deep into Alec's eyes with fury. "Annamarie Highsmith is the woman I caught your father in bed with when I came home early from work one day. The woman he'd been sleeping with for just under a year. The woman he'd been sleeping with since a few weeks after Max died."

Alec froze for a moment, and everything seemed to pause. All he could hear was his heart pounding, sounding like it could shatter his chest at any moment.

He turned to Robert. "…Is that true? You had an affair?"

"…Alec, I…" Robert began, but stopped with widening eyes when he saw someone stood at the entrance of the office with tears streaming down her face.

Isabelle.

…

Simon sat at the kitchen table in his apartment with a huge grin on his face as he shuffled through Isabelle's life-saving folder.

 _It smells like her._

Jordan and Maia had gone out to see a movie (even though they were adamant it wasn't a date, absolutely not a date in the slightest, no way) and Simon had plenty of time to work on the dinner. Things were coming together nicely; he still needed to book a tasting session before he could relax a tad more. Maybe he could invite Clary and Jocelyn along to keep their spirits up?

Caught up in the unexpected enjoyment the planning stage was bringing him, Simon didn't hear the knock on the door the first time. It was only when a second, louder knock sounded that he was brought back to reality and answered it.

Instinct took over the second he saw Isabelle stood there, cheeks soaked with tears and carrying her broken heels, ripped tights and bruised feet from where she must have run to his apartment; he wrapped a supportive arm around her waist as her knees almost gave way and helped her inside, setting her down on the couch and kneeling in front of her. He ran a hand through her hair and rested it on her cheek.

"What's happened?"

Isabelle tried to speak, but more tears came instead. Her loud wails of a girl with a broken heart filled the apartment as Simon held her tight, letting her sob into his shoulder for hours. Jordan and Maia came home and hurried into his room to give them space (Simon was too distracted to tease them about going into his bedroom together).

"I'm so sorry. I'm so embarrassed." Isabelle sniffed, having finally managed to just about compose herself.

"Don't be. You saved me today, let me save you." Simon smiled.

"Can I call in one of t-those f-favours?" Isabelle asked. Simon nodded. "Can I stay here tonight? I can't be n-near anything that reminds me of family right now."

Simon squeezed her hands. "Of course you can. You can have my bed and I'll take the couch."

Isabelle was silent for a moment. "I…could you not…would you stay with me?"

Simon's heart stopped. "If that's what you want. And you don't have to tell me anything yet, okay? Maybe in the morning, yeah?"

Isabelle nodded as fresh tears arrived and he held her close again.

Simon hadn't owned proper pyjamas for years but didn't feel comfortable wearing just boxers to bed like he normally did, not when he was sharing his bed with Isabelle. He took off his suit jacket, tie and shoes and decided that would have to do for the night. Isabelle borrowed one of Simon's shirts to sleep in (it had the words 'Rock Solid Panda' on it – he couldn't remember where he'd got it from) and after a few minutes she had drifted off to sleep. Simon watched her as her body rose and fell to the rhythm of her sleep, hoping there was a way he could mend whatever it was that had broken this beautiful girl so badly.

Knowing he wasn't going to get any sleep that night, Simon decided he would give it a little while longer until Isabelle was deeply asleep then sneak out and call Jace. He had to try and fix whatever damage had been caused, and Jace Wayland knew how to get things done.

As Simon watched Isabelle worriedly, he could think only one thing: whoever had done this to her was going to be sorry they were ever born.


	17. Carry Me Home

"Well what do you think she'll like?"

"Simon, she's a human being, not a cat. Just make her what you have for breakfast and I'm sure she'll eat it."

Simon nodded, accepting Jordan's advice as he set about making breakfast for himself and Isabelle, who was still sleeping soundly in his bed (and, by the way, that was _not_ how he'd dreamt she'd spend the night in his bed for the first time). She'd had a few moments during the night where she'd woken up and cried a little bit more, but Simon had stayed up all night to guarantee he could be there to comfort her whenever she needed.

That meant that all Simon planned to have for breakfast that morning was coffee. Lots of coffee.

For Isabelle, however, he needed to make more of an effort. Cooking actual food would be a good start.

"So did you two do it?" Jordan asked as Simon started frying some bacon and eggs.

"What? No, of course not." Simon stated.

"Good for you. Lesser men would've taken advantage." Jordan nodded.

"She's hurting, but she's still Isabelle; I'd feel bad for any man who dared try." Simon smirked. "By the way, don't think I've forgotten about you and Maia sneaking off into your bedroom and not coming out again."

"Well we were hardly gonna stay in here and watch as Isabelle sobbed into your shoulder were we? What do you expect us to do, take some photos on Instagram with the hashtag 'Sissybelle Lightwood'? Please." Jordan shrugged.

"You know what I mean. Did _you two_ do it?" Simon asked.

"…A gentlemen never tells." Jordan grinned, which was Jordan talk for 'hell yeah'.

"And what're you planning on doing when she goes back home again once she finishes covering for her friend here?" Simon wondered.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it." Jordan said, shoving some cereal into his mouth.

"Is Maia still here?" Simon asked.

"Nah, she left ten or so minutes before you got up. She actually goes to work, you see." Jordan teased.

"As should you." Simon retaliated.

"I'm on night shifts this week, I'll have you know. Sometimes I do wish my work life was as exciting as yours." Jordan said.

"Be careful what you wish for, my friend." Simon chuckled.

Simon's door clicked open and slowly revealed Isabelle, back in her dress and yet somehow with perfect hair like it was some kind of superpower.

"Morning guys." Isabelle said sheepishly.

"Morning. Nice to see you." Jordan waved.

"And you." Isabelle smiled, looking at Simon. "Hi."

"Hey. I'm making breakfast and I will force feed it to you if I have to." Simon warned with a cheeky grin.

Isabelle smiled. "In that case I'd better eat it of my own free will."

She took a seat at the kitchen table as Jordan poured her some coffee and Simon finished plating up a cooked breakfast.

"Thank you." Isabelle said warmly as Simon placed the food in front of her and sat down. "Aren't you eating?"

"No, I'm good with coffee." Simon said.

"So you're gonna lecture me about eating then just drink coffee? You need breakfast, Simon. It's the most important meal of the day!" Isabelle stated.

"She's right, you know." Jordan muttered, still ingesting cornflakes at an alarming pace.

"I'm fine, I -"

"-Simon Lewis, you make yourself some toast this instant!" Isabelle said.

"But -"

"-Don't make me force feed you some!" Isabelle said, pointing her fork at Simon's face.

"…Are you two sure you haven't been married for thirty years?" Jordan joked.

Simon and Isabelle shared a look, their faces going red. Simon sighed and stood up to make toast. "Fine, you win."

Isabelle lowered the fork and smiled. "That does tend to be the case with me."

Simon looked back at Isabelle and laughed. Isabelle remained looking at him for a few seconds after he'd turned away before smiling to herself. She looked up from her food to see Jordan smirking at her.

She raised the fork again and Jordan's smirk ran away screaming.

…

Alec tentatively opened his apartment door after hearing a loud knock, relaxing only slightly when he saw Jace stood there.

"…You know?" Alec asked.

Jace nodded. "I'm sorry, man. I…I don't know what to say."

"I just…I thought I knew dad, you know? I didn't like a lot of it, but still…I don't know him at all. Or mom, really. I said some horrible things yesterday but…well, she did too." Alec explained sadly.

"She hit you. That's never okay." Jace stated.

"Who told you?"

"Simon called me last night to say Isabelle was in a bad way then called again this morning after she'd told him everything." Jace explained.

"…This morning? Did…did she stay with Simon?" Alec asked. "You know, that's not important right now. I…I haven't even checked on her."

"You're in shock, it's okay."

"It's not, she's my little sister."

"You can afford to focus on yourself right now, okay? We're all gonna help you all through this. It happened years ago, so maybe there's a way we can start to try and move forward." Jace suggested.

"Jace, it'll never be the same and you know it." Alec sighed. "All these years and we never even got an inkling from them that something like this had happened. Is that strength or coldness?"

"Maybe a bit of both."

"I mean, I knew they didn't speak much in the weeks after Max died but…they didn't speak to anyone, so I…I just assumed…I can't process this." Alec said.

"Look, just take a day off. Or a week. However long you need. Get your head around this; there's no way you can do any decent work until then anyway. Just look after yourself for now." Jace said. A few sounds suddenly came from the bathroom. "Is someone else here?"

"Uh…no one important." Alec blushed.

Jace smiled. "Ah. _That's_ how you got through the night, huh?"

"Please, Jace, not now." Alec grumbled.

"…Yeah, alright. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"…If anything, I'm pissed off." Alec said.

"Well that's good, because that's your defining trait." Jace grinned.

…

"I go away for one freakin' week..." Clary shook her head in disbelief as she sat at her computer, Simon leaning over the top of her cubicle.

"Yeah, please don't do that again. I need you here to control the drama." Simon said.

"That was really sweet, though, what you did for Isabelle." Clary nodded.

"I didn't think it was possible for her to be so, you know, vulnerable. I felt so powerless, you know?"

"I think you helped her more than you think." Clary said.

"I hope so." Simon shrugged.

"Simon!" Jace said as he approached the others. "How's Izzy?"

"Broken, honestly. I let her go back to sleep in my room; Jordan's working nights so he's around all day to keep an eye on her. What about Alec?"

"He's taking a bit of time away too. Unfortunately, so are Robert and Maryse." Jace sighed.

"What?" Simon asked.

"Maryse called Luke and said old wounds had been reopened and she needed a few days to herself. Robert just flat out didn't turn up today and no one can get hold of him." Jace explained.

"Pretty shitty of him, this is his fault anyway." Clary added.

"Maryse and Alec said a few things I'm sure they regret too." Simon said.

"Maryse slapped Alec good and proper." Jace said.

"What?" Clary asked, shocked.

"I know. It's so unlike her to lose her cool anyway, but with her own kids? This ain't gonna be a quick fix." Jace grumbled.

"I guess Luke's having a busy day then?" Simon asked.

"That's why I came down. He wants us to help him run business today. He needs to brief us on a case, something about medication with unknown side effects or some crap like that." Jace revealed.

"Okay, let's get going." Simon said, gathering his things.

"I'll meet you there." Jace announced. Simon nodded, waving goodbye to Clary and rushing off to the elevator.

"So, uh…how was your trip with Jocelyn?" Jace asked Clary in a hushed tone, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh…very nice, thank you. Relaxing. Kinda wish I'd stayed there now." Clary smiled.

"…And Jocelyn's doing okay?"

"She's feeling a lot better, yeah. I think she's come to terms with everything now."

"Good." Jace nodded. Silence. "…I should probably get going."

"Yeah, of course. Uh…good luck with everything." Clary said shyly.

"Thank you, uh…you too. We, uh…w-we missed you." Jace chuckled nervously, giving a small wave before heading off. Clary watched him go for a few moments before giving a small smile and returning to work.

…

"Neil swears blind he wasn't aware of any customers experiencing side effects not listed on the box the tablets came in until the first lawsuit landed on his door. Since the first came, another four followed in quick succession." Luke explained as he sat at his desk, Jace and Simon sat opposite him glancing through the case file he'd had copied for them.

"But the side-effects aren't long-term or permanent?" Simon asked.

"No, which is why we can hopefully stop this going to court and settle, or negotiate some other way." Luke replied.

"And hope to god no other lawsuits find their way here." Jace added.

"Which is why we need a very good solution. We're meeting Neil and the six affected participants later this afternoon for a meeting. Hopefully we can try and fix this mess and then deal with the even bigger one that occurred yesterday." Luke groaned.

"Did you know? About Robert's affair?" Jace asked.

"Of course not. If I had, do you really think I'd have let Alec take that file after he'd shown it to me?" Luke posed.

"…Good point." Jace said.

"…I don't really want to think too deeply about how I didn't know something so personal related to my name partners in this firm, to be frank." Luke admitted. "How are Alec and Isabelle? I couldn't get hold of either of them."

"Getting by in their own way. They're strong, the pair of them; they'll get through it because they have to." Jace said.

"Good. Well, we just need to dig further into Neil's company and the medical histories of everyone suing him to see if we can find another cause of these side effects unrelated to the tablets." Luke explained.

"I think the evidence is pretty conclusive, and it's not in our favour." Simon observed.

"I agree, but Robert was dealing with this case and scheduled the meeting for today, so I have to assume he believes the client's claims. We'll know for sure when we meet Neil later; he's coming in twenty minutes before the others." Luke said.

"Trust Robert on something? Won't be making that mistake again. At least I have a reason why I've never treated him with respect." Jace smiled as Simon's phone buzzed and he answered it.

"Hey, how's Izzy? What? How did -? Okay, okay, uh…don't worry, I think I know where she'll be. I'll let you know. Yeah, no problem. Bye. Bye." Simon said, sighing as he hung up. "That was Jordan. He went to check on Isabelle and she was gone. She'd climbed out the window and down the drainpipe."

"That's kinda badass." Jace laughed.

"We need to find her." Luke said worriedly.

"I have a feeling I know where she is." Simon said.

"Where?"

"About five doors down the corridor." Simon smiled, grabbing his back and heading out.

…

Simon was relieved to see he was right; as he walked into Isabelle's office she was sat at her desk filling out paperwork. She looked up at him and her face dropped.

"…Jordan ratted me out?"

"Yeah." Simon nodded.

"I'm sorry; I just had to get out of there. I needed more of a distraction and I couldn't sleep – I need to just get on with all the work I've got to do. I didn't want to cause a fuss by trying to get Jordan to let me leave." Isabelle explained.

"It's okay, I get it. Though you could've taken at least one whole day off." Simon smiled.

"No rest for the wicked." Isabelle said. "Alec called me. He seems to be okay."

"He's having a bit of time off, right?"

"Yeah. He's gotten used to not being here all the time anyway, now he's spending all his time…never mind." Isabelle mumbled.

"Okay…well, since you're here I can give this back to you." Simon said, pulling a sparkly pink folder out of his bag and putting it on Isabelle's desk. "Thanks for letting me use it."

"You don't need it anymore?" Isabelle wondered.

"They cancelled the dinner; Robert and Maryse eating in a public place where the press could interrupt and ambush them after all of this? Not good publicity for us." Simon revealed.

"I didn't even think about the press." Isabelle groaned. "Is it on the news?"

"It's far from a scandal but it's been discussed." Simon admitted sadly.

"Crap. I can see Valentine and Hodge's smug little faces now. And Camille; that bitch must be soaking this up like a sponge with water." Isabelle sighed. "I'm sorry about the dinner, you seemed to actually be getting excited about it."

"It's okay, knowing my luck I'll get picked again sometime." Simon smirked and Isabelle laughed.

"And I never properly thanked you for last night. That was so sweet of you to let me stay over. You and Jordan were both so kind." Isabelle said, standing up and leaning over her desk to grab Simon's hand and squeezed it affectionately.

Simon tried to ignore the shivers her touch sent up his spine. "You don't need to thank us. Us New Yorkers have to stick together, right?"

Isabelle smiled, staring at Simon with wide eyes. "…I'm really glad you came here. You're pretty amazing, Simon Lewis."

Simon smiled. "You must be rubbing off on me."

They stared at one another for a few moments more before snapping back to reality. Their hands broke apart and Simon took a step back.

"I, uh…I better get back to helping Luke and Jace. You sure you're okay?" Simon asked.

"…I will be, yeah. Do you want any help with whatever it is you're working on?" Isabelle wondered.

"No, don't worry about it; you take it easy. It can't have been easy climbing down a drainpipe in heels." Simon smirked.

"Oh, it wasn't. I'm just that much of a badass." Isabelle grinned.

Simon chuckled, shyly waved and headed out of the office. Isabelle watched him go with a beaming face; there was always a limit to how sad you could be when Simon Lewis was around. No matter how lost she would get, she knew she could count on him to carry her home.

…

Magnus finished putting gel in his hair and adjusted his tie in the mirror before returning into Alec's living room. Alec was stretched out on his couch, watching yet not watching the enormous flat screen TV mounted on the wall.

"I really don't want to leave you on your own." Magnus sighed as he knelt down by Alec's head and ran his hand through Alec's jet black hair.

"You have a meeting, you need to be there. Don't worry about me." Alec said.

"Well I do. I just…I wish I could understand how you must be feeling. At least talk to someone who understands, like Isabelle." Magnus suggested.

"I'll call her in a bit." Alec said. "I can only hope your relationships with your parents are better than mine."

Magnus looked down. "Now that is a very long, complicated story for another time. I'll tell you one day, but I'll have to be really rather drunk."

Alec laughed, delicately stroking Magnus' cheek as he lay on the couch. "You're going to be late."

"I'm just taking you in, that's all." Magnus smiled softly, leaning forward and kissing Alec's forehead before standing up. "I'll be back in a few hours and I will be cooking for you."

"What're we having?" Alec asked, sitting up with a vulnerable smile as Magnus opened the apartment door.

"Unsure at the moment." Magnus purred, turning back with a wink. "But I'll make it spectacular."

He waved and closed the door as he left. Alec stayed watching the door for a moment, smiling through the pain.

"You always do."

…

The tension in the conference room was palpable as Luke, Jace and Simon sat at a long, thin table with their client Neil, the six people suing him and the lawyer representing them all – Julian Blackthorn of Santiago Belcourt. He looked young – very young – yet there was an air of experience about him and weight of his shoulders. Jace took one look at his bushy brown hair and refrained from speaking out loud the twenty insults he'd just come up with. The clients sat around Julian were all glaring at Neil with pure scorn and hate, hands gripping their knees and hunched forward in their chairs.

"Thank you all for coming in this afternoon; we appreciate giving us a moment of your time." Luke began warmly. "I understand the seriousness of your accusations against my client but I hope we can clear the air now we have an opportunity."

"There isn't any air to clear; his drugs didn't tell the full story!" One middle-aged woman shouted, pointing at Neil; Simon thought he could physically see Neil's greying hair falling out of his head.

Julian raised an arm to silence her. "The best way to get the justice you deserve is to discuss this calmly, Raina."

"I had no idea of the side effects not listed on the packaging. You have my word!" Neil argued.

"Your word means nothing anymore. You said your drugs would help our symptoms." Another, older man piped up.

"In our client's defence, testing has shown the drugs do reduce the common symptoms of ALS. There is a correlation between taking the medication and a reduction of ticks and spasms." Jace said.

"Yes, and in their place my clients suffer back pain, sometimes at an unbearable level of discomfort." Julian stated.

"We recognise that there is a fault with the medication, but with our client not being the one to oversee the production we don't think he should be the one with a target on his back." Luke said.

"Who better than the head of the company behind the meds?" Another, elderly woman asked.

"I…I'm sorry for what you have suffered. Believe me, I understand." Neil began.

"You haven't the faintest idea!" The middle-aged woman exclaimed. "And what if this only gets worse as we get older? Why hasn't anyone tried to counteract what's been done to us, or at least stop others from taking the meds?"

"Sales have dropped drastically as a result of this going public." Simon said.

"You say it as if that's punishment enough." Julian said firmly.

"I…I don't know what to say…" Neil sighed.

"You're not the one who should be getting sympathy!" The older man stated.

Simon felt a burst of sympathy for Neil nonetheless. The discomfort was clear to see all over his face as well as the genuine guilt he felt. Robert was certainly right – Neil had no idea just what his drugs would do. He looked much older than he was sat there, knuckles white from where his grip on his knees was so strong, his face wrinkled up from stress as he sat forward in his chair in an uncomfortable looking position.

Simon's eyes widened. Neil was sat exactly the same way the six other clients were.

"Sorry to interrupt." Simon said, standing up. "Neil, can I talk to you for a minute? We'll be right back."

"What are you doing?" Jace whispered.

"Trust me." Simon nodded as he led Neil outside and shut the door. "Tell me the truth."

"I am!" Neil exclaimed.

"I know; I believe you when you say you didn't know. I mean tell me the truth about how you really do understand what they're going through." Simon said.

Neil went white. "What do you mean?"

"…You have ALS too, don't you? You took the meds and suffered the same side effects."

Neil was silent for a while then sighed. "…It only onset within the last year. But…yes."

"Neil, I…I'm so sorry."

"Shouldn't we be saying that to them?"

"Maybe after we try and smooth this over; an admission of guilt isn't the thing to do just yet. I…I think you need to tell them the truth. Make them understand. If you do then you're all victims and not enemies." Simon suggested.

"I…I don't know. If it became public knowledge the company would be ruined…" Neil stuttered.

"Your company is already losing money, Neil, this might turn it around. We can make them sign non-disclosure contracts if we strike a deal. And I think I have an idea." Simon said. "Do you trust me?"

"I've known you for less than an hour."

"But you've been with Lightwood Garroway for years. Trust in their trust of me." Simon pleaded.

"…What do you suggest?" Neil asked.

…

Isabelle almost couldn't bring herself to answer the second she saw Alec calling her phone, but found herself being unable to reject the call. "Hey."

"Hey. I…I'm not really sure what to say." Alec said.

"Neither do I." Isabelle sighed. "This is…I don't even know what this is. We don't know them at all, do we? I never had dad pegged as a cheat and I never thought mom could actually…actually hit someone, _anyone_ , but to hit you? I…." Isabelle choked, forcing the tears back.

"I know." Alec was silent for a little while. "Magnus is cooking."

"I see. Don't take him out of the oven until he's golden brown." Isabelle smirked.

"Good to see you can still take the piss." Alec chuckled. "What I meant was…he's okay with you joining us for dinner. Take our minds off of things. He's an insanely good cook."

"…I don't know."

"Izzy, please. Let's just…let's be there for each other, even if we don't talk about…everything. What do you say?" Alec begged.

"…Okay. I'll be there." Isabelle said.

"Great. I…you expect a big ass hug, okay?"

Isabelle let a tear fall as she laughed. "Okay."

"I love you, little sister."

Isabelle smiled through her tears. "Love you too, big brother."

…

"And those are five of the six non-disclosure agreements pertaining to Neil's condition. Julian's sorting out the last one now." Jace said proudly as he placed a stack of papers on Luke's desk. Luke took them and filed them away happily, looking back at Jace and Simon.

"I can't believe you noticed such a minor thing like the way he was sat, Simon." Luke said. "Colour me impressed."

"I have my moments." Simon shrugged.

"You might want to record this for your ringtone, but I'm gonna say it outright…you're the man, Si." Jace said.

"I don't know what we'd have done if you hadn't convinced Neil to tell everyone the truth." Luke shook his head.

"And to offer them a small share in the business to oversee research and production? Genius." Jace added.

"We're just lucky Neil managed to convince the other shareholders of the plan in record time." Simon said.

"I can't thank you too enough for today. Nice to know I'm still in good hands even without Robert and Maryse around. Though I will sleep better when they're both back." Luke nodded.

"And agreement number six." Julian said, walking into the office and handing the papers to Luke.

"Nice doing business with you." Jace smiled.

"I'm sure it is. The clients are happy, that's what counts." Julian shrugged.

"You don't agree with the solution?" Luke wondered.

"It was one of many, but one of the better options. It doesn't really matter what I think."

"I'll admit, I was expecting more of a battle from someone from Santiago Belcourt." Jace said.

"I may work for Raphael and Camille but I don't go about business in quite the same way." Julian said. "Besides, I could've made this much harder had I told them about the Lightwood scandal that was on the news this morning."

"…You knew, huh? Why not say anything? They might not have been as willing to jump into bed with us."

"I know them; their health and the health of others is what comes first and they'd get in bed with anyone to achieve their goals. Besides, it's not entirely relevant to your firm, is it? It's a personal thing. No point in throwing you guys under the bus." Julian explained.

"Until the right case comes along, that is." Simon smiled.

"Maybe, just maybe." Julian smiled. "I'll see you guys around."

"Hang on, Julian…Blackthorn, wasn't it? That name rings a bell." Jace said.

"My sister Helen works at Morgenstern Starkweather, if that's it?" Julian revealed.

"That's it, I remember reading the name in their employment records. You didn't fancy working there with your sister?" Jace wondered.

"Look, Raphael and Camille are pricks, but Valentine Morgenstern and Hodge Starkweather are five-star assholes." Julian grinned. "See ya."

With that, Julian turned and made his way out of the office, leaving the others amused.

"I like that kid." Jace nodded.

"Why don't you two head home and rest up. I have a few more cases that I'll need your help with in the coming days." Luke said.

"Can't wait." Simon smiled. "This feeling right now…this makes it all worth it, right?"

Luke looked at Simon for a little while. "…It's a shame you're a fraud, Simon."

Jace's face dropped and Simon looked at the floor. "Yeah. I know."

"…Because you're one hell of a lawyer." Luke smiled. Simon and Jace grinned.

"Get some rest." Luke ordered, gesturing to the door.

"What, and I don't get a nice comment about how awesome I am?" Jace smirked.

"I can make a comment but I wouldn't call it nice." Luke joked.

…

"Another."

Robert ignored the cautious look the bartender gave him as he ordered his fifth glass of whiskey. Or maybe it was his sixth? He couldn't even remember how many bars he'd been in that day, more like how many whiskeys he'd ordered from the latest stop on his not-so grand pub crawl.

A memory flashed before him for a moment; he and Maryse having a picnic with Alec and Isabelle at a park on a gorgeous sunny day. Alec couldn't have been more than seven or eight, and Isabelle five or six. It had been during the four years he's sobered up.

That felt like a different life of a different man. A beautiful lie.

He used to be a man with a wife and two wonderful kids; the dream to end all dreams. He barely had a wife anymore, and his grip on his children seemed to have loosened a long time ago.

But there would always be one more drink waiting for him. Or two. Or fifth or sixth.

Robert made a decision; he'd finish this drink and then he'd go home. Though he'd said that at the last three bars.


	18. In Order To Fight The Powers That Be

Simon chained up his bike as he arrived at Lightwood Garroway bright and early. He couldn't help but feel positive about things; after a few days both Robert and Maryse returned to work and, even if they weren't on good terms, they did a mighty fine job of hiding it. He and Jace had also helped Luke close a few more deals in the absence of the Lightwood bosses, filling him with confidence he was scared to have before. Alec and Isabelle were also back at work and at their best, though Simon wouldn't be shocked if the rumours that neither of them had spoken to their parents outside of business meetings were true.

"What's up, Lewis?" Purred a familiar, angelic voice.

Simon smiled and turned around, where Isabelle was stood before him. She was dressed in a black jacket and trousers with a large backpack over her shoulders, her hands gripped on a flashy, sparkling bike of her own. "Did…did you ride here?"

"I did. With my _new_ bike." Isabelle smiled excitedly.

"It's a good looking bike." Simon agreed with a smirk. "But still, getting here of your own accord? Are…are you feeling okay?"

"Be quiet, Lewis. I've been thinking of getting one ever since I tried yours. It's always good to stay healthy, after all. Though I do have a dress in this backpack that I cannot wait to change into because I am not a fan of this look." Isabelle explained.

"I've seen a lot worse." Simon smiled.

Isabelle smiled back. "I believe you. Is that a new suit?"

Simon looked down at the suit he'd bought yesterday with a proud grin. "Yes it is, and thank you for noticing."

"Suits you – no pun intended." Isabelle smirked and Simon laughed.

"Pun appreciated nonetheless. Hopefully this'll stop Jace taking the piss."

"I'm sure it will; it fits you well. Nice and tight." Isabelle smirked, locking up her bike and walking inside the building without looking back. Simon watched her go with a wide grin and a red face before heading inside himself.

…

Magnus sat at his desk on the 36th floor of Morgenstern Starkweather flicking rolled up bits of paper across his desk; he'd nailed it in court that morning and had yet to find anything else to do to entertain himself – not until Alec came over later, at least.

 _Alec_. He smiled.

A voice crackled through the phone speaker on his desk. "Magnus, Catarina's here to see you."

Magnus held down a button to reply. "Thanks, Emma. Send her in."

A few moments later, Catarina Loss entered. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail but still displaying one streak of dark blue amongst the dark brown that only she could pull off. Her dress echoed the same shade of blue, making her glide along the floor like the flow of a river.

Magnus had always admired her glamour and extravagance; if he was honest it was the sole reason he hired her to be his associate attorney – of all the applicants she had the best style. The fact that she was also very good at her job was an added bonus he discovered later on.

"What can I do for you, my young apprentice?" Magnus inquired.

"We're the same age, Magnus."

"Really? I always thought you were older." Magnus smirked. Catarina rolled her eyes, which Magnus took to mean she was slightly amused. "I joke, of course, but honestly 'my same-age-as-me apprentice' doesn't have the same flair to it."

"Valentine and Hodge are on their way down to see you, along with all the other partners and – to quote Hodge's words – 'some very special guests'. They sent me to tell you since I was 'probably on my way here anyway'…which I wasn't, for the record." Catarina explained.

"Why on earth are they all coming to me?" Magnus asked.

"Because they know you, and they know if you had to go to a meeting of your own accord you wouldn't turn up."

"…Yes, that does sound a lot like me." Magnus grinned.

Catarina rolled her eyes again (she tended to do that a lot in Magnus' company) just as there was a knock on the door and Valentine and Hodge entered followed by a stream of people, all of the firm's board members. Ragnor Fell entered and gave Magnus an enthusiastic wave before three others entered the room, all of them familiar to Magnus and all out of place. Mainly because they worked for a rival firm.

Camille Belcourt gave Magnus a delighted grin. Raphael Santiago stared at him in amused silence. Finally, Meliorn (Magnus couldn't recall his surname), one of Santiago Belcourt's Junior Partners, didn't even register that Magnus was there. Whenever they'd met at a fundraiser or in court he'd always acted as if he were far superior to everyone he came across. It was fair to say Magnus wasn't a fan of the young, if beautifully stylish, man.

"Sorry to drop this on you Magnus; we thought you'd appreciate the excitement of surprise. It all happened very suddenly, you see." Valentine said, his voice filling the room with ease.

"And what exactly what it be that you're dropping on me?" Magnus asked.

"I'm sure you recognised the employees of Santiago Belcourt among us." Valentine announced, turning to the group of three. "Will Mr Mortmain not be joining us?"

"He's tied up with a case at Lightwood Garroway already, as it happens." Camille revealed with a smirk. Magnus did not like that smirk. He'd seen it far too many times.

"What beautiful coincidence." Valentine said. He spoke with a tone of victory. Magnus looked at Catarina, who shared the concern in his eyes in her eyes too.

"We have some shocking news to deliver to you, Magnus. And to the rest of our board." Hodge boomed gleefully.

"Is that so? Well, do tell." Magnus prompted.

"Unfortunately, ever since Lightwood Garroway was found to have hidden evidence in a trial against us, it was in our best interests to keep digging in case justice had been robbed from us on more than one occasion and not just from an error on behalf of Jocelyn Fray." Valentine began. "It is my solemn duty to inform you all that we have found more evidence of wrongdoing on Lightwood Garroway's part, backed up by the same anonymous source that provided us with the information initially."

"…I see." Magnus said. "And what does this have to do with Mr and Mrs Addam and their flying monkey?"

Camille just smiled while Raphael and Meliorn looked not-so subtly irritated.

"The source claims to have found Lightwood Garroway have done the same thing with cases involving Santiago Belcourt. It only made sense to inform them." Hodge added.

The tension in the room formed instantaneously.

"We're all in this business for one purpose – to find justice. It only makes sense for us to work together on this matter." Valentine said, his fellow board members nodding in agreement.

"Well, this is a very shocking revelation." Magnus nodded.

"It's sad, Magnus, very sad. To see that Robert, Maryse and Luke have gone against what this profession represents breaks my heart. But we have to act for the good of their clients and ours." Valentine announced.

"Lawsuits and an investigation into the firm?" Camille offered.

Valentine nodded. "It is the sensible course of action. Everyone in agreement?"

The room filled with people nodding, raising their arms and vocalising their agreement. Valentine looked to Magnus. "And I take it you believe this is the right course of action to take, Magnus?"

Magnus looked up from the floor and smiled. "Oh, absolutely."

"Good. We'll move this to my office and put our case together to file to the authorities. You need not trouble yourself to come up with us Magnus, if you so wish." Valentine said.

"Well, I am very busy. I trust you'll work it all out yourselves. Send anything I need to sign my way."

Valentine smiled. "Good man."

With that, the crowd of people poured out of Magnus' office towards the elevators. Camille looked back and blew Magnus a kiss as she departed, while Raphael and Meliorn offered only the scornful glare Magnus had been used to receiving from them.

The second the door closed behind the last board member, Catarina turned to Magnus. "Magnus, I -"

"-You don't have to say anything, Cat. I know this is fabricated bullshit." Magnus stated.

"Then why didn't you argue?" Catarina asked.

"With Valentine and Hodge, it's best to keep up appearances until you're ready to strike back." Magnus looked out of his window solemnly. "Thirty two days."

"I'm sorry?"

"It's always thirty two days. Valentine takes one of Lightwood Garroway's clients. Thirty two days later, he accuses Jocelyn Fray of planting evidence. Thirty two days, he takes another client. Thirty two days, and now this. He's always six steps ahead. If he was smart he'd do everything twenty eight days later." Magnus said.

"Why?"

"Watch more movies, Catarina."

"What are you going to do?" Catarina questioned.

Magnus sighed, his heart heavy. "…I need to make a call."

…

"Can I have a word?"

Jace was shocked to look up from his desk to see it was Robert who'd asked the question. The man's eyes were bloodshot and his suit was dishevelled like he'd rolled down a hill on the way to work that morning.

"You look like crap." Jace said.

"That wasn't an answer to my question."

"I never intended it to be an answer to your question." Jace snapped. "Don't pretend you're only here because Maryse, Izzy and Alec aren't speaking to you and Luke's actually busy with his own work to keep this place afloat."

"I understand why you're angry. Why you're all angry." Robert sighed.

"Oh well, that's good then." Jace said, standing up. "You cheated on your wife. That's a dick move. Literally."

"And it is a regret and a burden I will always carry."

"You poor thing."

"Jace, _please_. I just need someone to listen so I can explain everything."

"Not now. I don't wanna hear it. You've gotta give us all more time to process this because I barely had any respect for you before and now this. You tore your family apart at the one time you needed to stick together. I can't begin to imagine what losing Max did to you but…but it doesn't give you the right to do what you did." Jace stated passionately.

Robert stood there in silence, eventually nodding in resignation and walking out, thankful Jace hadn't gotten close enough to smell the alcohol on his breath.

…

"New case from Luke. Can I trust you to manage it on your own?" Jace asked, throwing a file into Simon's cubicle and onto his desk.

"You got it." Simon nodded.

"Good. The client's in conference room A7 for the deposition in an hour. Luke said he's told the opposition that you'll be taking over from him on the case. That eidetic memory sure helps when you need a last-minute replacement, but Luke's swamped. Don't mess up." Jace stated, smiling briefly at Clary before heading off. Simon opened the file and happily read through the details.

"Look at you, getting your own cases and stuff." Clary smiled.

"Must be doing something right." Simon chuckled before reading the name of the lawyer he was up against. He went white and got up from his cubicle and rushed after Jace, leaving Clary looking confused.

Jace jumped when Simon caught up with him in the corridor and grabbed his arm. "What the hell, Potter?!"

"I can't take the case." Simon stated nervously.

"What? Why?" Jace wondered.

"The opposition."

"So he works for Santiago Belcourt, whatever." Jace shrugged.

"No, I know him. I…I knew him." Simon revealed.

"You knew Axel Mortmain? Which, by the way, is the second coolest name ever; first being Jace Herondale."

"He was two years above me in school. We talked about going to law school from time to time, and he did." Simon revealed.

"Oh…OH. Shit." Jace panicked. "He knows you never went so he'd know you can't be working here legally."

"And Luke's told him I'm replacing him on the case, so if he hasn't already recognised the name he'll recognise me in the flesh." Simon said, terrified.

"Okay, Simon, relax. I can't deal with another panic attack, alright? Breathe and stay calm, we'll work this out." Jace stated firmly.

"What do I do?"

"Either way we have to assume he knows. I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to talk this out with him and get him to stay quiet because I really don't know what we can do otherwise." Jace admitted.

"…Oh crap." Simon exhaled.

Reluctantly, Simon made his way to the conference room and slowly approached the door. Inside were Luke and the client, Luke clearly preparing him for the deposition and to transition himself over to Simon. Sat opposite, was Axel Mortmain and his client. Despite only being a few years older than Simon, Mortmain appeared to look much older than his years – perhaps it was only a trick of the light that made the sides of his hair look like streaks of grey.

Mortmain looked up as if he knew exactly where Simon was stood, and showed full conviction by getting up and joining Simon outside.

"Simon bloody Lewis." Mortmain seethed.

"Axel…uh…good to see you." Simon stuttered.

"Cut the crap, Simon!" Mortmain exclaimed angrily. "You…I don't have the words."

"I can explain…"

"Can you? You and I both know the timings don't add up! You can't have gone to law school. PLEASE tell me I've made a mistake somehow. Please."

Simon was silent.

Mortmain shook his head. "This is fucked up, Simon."

"Axel…"

"Don't!" Mortmain's look of sadness turned to excitement far too quickly, like a lightbulb had switched on in his head. "I'm a lawyer first, Simon, and then your friend. This is my first big case and I'm not gonna lose it, you understand? I don't know how you ended up where you are but you've spat in the face of this profession."

"Please, just -"

"-You concede this case and to my settlement terms or I go to the police." Mortmain stated, saying no more as he opened the door and walked back inside.

Simon felt a lump in his throat and fear in his heart.

…

Alec's heart started racing as he sat at his desk and saw Magnus was calling. He quickly answered his phone with a smile. "Someone's still keen after this morning, I see."

"Alexander, I wish this was a booty call, I really do, but this is serious."

Alec sat up straight in his chair. "…Okay. What's wrong?"

"Valentine's trying to set up your firm again."

"What?"

"In the same way but on a bigger scale. Morgenstern Starkweather has teamed with Santiago Belcourt to sue Lightwood Garroway and have you investigated." Magnus revealed sadly.

"That's ridiculous!" Alec shouted furiously.

"I know; it's all fabricated lies. I called as soon as I could. Catarina and I have been going over some files recently checked out of our records room; I think they're planning on framing Lightwood Garroway by claiming they hid or withheld evidence that made them lose court cases. But what they're really doing is trying to drain your firm and fill up their bank accounts by finding any flaws in their arguments in court and blaming it on your firm planting or removing evidence. They're using the same anonymous source they had last time when they framed Jocelyn." Magnus revealed. "They kept me out of it last time so I couldn't help her, but this time I could at least warn you. I'd fight their accusations but with their anonymous source…"

"…they have enough of a case for us to at least get investigated. Don't worry, I wouldn't have let you speak out and endanger yourself anyway. Shit!" Alec sighed, frustrated.

"I'm sorry, Alexander, I don't know what else there is to do."

"I know. I'll uh…we'll think of something. Thank you, Magnus. I should go and warn everyone. Bye." Alec said, breathing heavily as he hung up the phone and rushed out of his office.

"Good luck, Alexander. I…I lov-"

…

The deposition ended and Axel and Simon made their excuses to their clients in order to have a few moments alone in the room.

"Axel, listen -" Simon began.

"- I don't wanna hear it."

Simon sighed, sinking back into his chair. "What are you asking for?"

Axel sat up. "Half a million."

"What?! That preposterous!"

"In normal circumstances, yes." Axel nodded.

"This is blackmail, not fair law abiding."

"You've cheated this business; I'm allowing it to cheat you back."

"My client can't afford that." Simon stated.

"Should've thought about how you could ruin people's lives when you got a job here illegally." Axel hissed.

"You son a bitch." Simon seethed. "Take it out on me, fine – I'm the one in the wrong – but this is punishing my client!"

"That's not the way I see it, so you better find a way to get the money because I'm not changing my mind. Unless you want to risk of going to prison. I wonder how long you'd get? How long it would take until you wound someone up the wrong way like you used to do at school with your snappy remarks."

"Wow, I've gotta hand it to you, Axel. You did a stand up job of pretending to be a half-decent human being in school because it turns out you're a dick." Simon snapped.

"Is that right? Well at least I went to law school! I got the grades! I studied hard! I passed the LSAT with a 142! I -"

"-No you didn't." Simon said.

"…I'm sorry?"

"You scored 117. I remember you showing me the results." Simon said, eyebrows raised.

"…That, uh, that was the first time I took it. I retook it again in the December to get a passing grade." Axel stated.

Simon was silent for a moment. "The one on December 11th?"

"…Yeah!" Axel stated.

"LSATs were on December 8th that year." Simon said. "I remember."

"…Why would you remember that?" Axel questioned.

"Because that's what I do."

"Well, fine. Must've been the 8th then." Axel shrugged.

"You don't remember the exact date you got a 142 on the LSATs? That surprises me."

"This isn't relevant."

"Though weren't you on a skiing trip on the week of the 8th? I saw the posts on Facebook." Simon said, his eyes filling with hope and joy.

"You can't possible remember that. You're wrong." Axel spat.

"So I couldn't go on Facebook now and see the date those pictures were posted?" Simon asked.

Axel was silent for a while. Eventually he stood up and threw his arms up. "…Look, this…this is bullshit! My client wants half a million dollars unless you want to rot in jail!"

"Mike Ross." Simon stated, standing up.

Axel froze. "…What?"

"No, not what, _who_? You were friends with Mike Ross, right? You hung out all the time; you, Mike and Trevor. They were a few years ahead of us, though, right?" Simon said.

"So what?"

"I remember hearing that Mike got kicked out of law school. And what he did to earn money instead…taking the LSATs for people." Simon smiled.

Axel tried to speak but words wouldn't come.

"You tried to lecture me about disrespecting the profession, you two-faced son of a bitch." Simon said.

"…You're wrong."

"Am I? Sounds to me like we're both bad people who did bad things to live their dreams." Simon shrugged. "If I'm wrong, then why haven't you left to tell your client they're getting half a million dollars?"

Axel was silent again.

"We're not good people, Axel…but it is what it is. We're in too deep and in too dark of a place. So how about we sit down, get our clients back in and negotiate a fair settlement?"

Axel was at a loss for words as he stared gawping at Simon. He clearly couldn't believe what had just happened and how he'd slipped up.

"You don't want a bad result on your first real case, after all. Do you?" Simon asked.

Axel said nothing as he sank back into his chair. Relief filled Simon, but he didn't like how much he was getting used to getting away with it.

…

"This is preposterous. We can't function like this!" Luke exclaimed as he saw Maryse and Robert's desks moved far apart.

"I need time, Luke. Old wounds." Maryse said with her patience clearly paper thin.

"No one is letting me explain…" Robert grumbled.

"Because you've pushed everyone away! _Everyone_!" Maryse shouted.

"Enough! This is a matter for the home, not for our firm. I feel for you, I do, and I can't say I'm particularly happy with how either of you have behaved recently but you are still my partners in this business and if we don't at least stick together professionally then we'll lose _everything_ we've worked for! We already lost Jocelyn and I'll be damned if we lose anyone else!" Luke stated passionately.

The door burst open and Alec rushed in, panic all over his face. "We're in trouble."

Maryse stood up. "What do you mean?"

"Morgenstern Starkweather and Santiago Belcourt are working together to take us down. They're framing us and they're coming for us. I…I think it's too late to stop it."

Luke and Maryse were stunned to silence. Robert roared with fury as his tipped his desk and kicked the wall.

And then came the war.


	19. If We Weren't All Crazy

The authorities came two days later.

Lightwood Garroway was practically at a standstill since all of their resources needed to be checked and checked again, meaning progress was slow and exasperating. Robert, Maryse and Luke were forced to take the decision to suspend taking on any new cases and focus only on the one they had underway as well as meetings with worried clients until their name was cleared. _If_ their name was cleared.

This, however, meant that next to no employees were needed and two thirds were all sent home with the promise of full pay. The building felt like a ghost town.

Jace sat cross-legged on top of his empty desk and looked around at all the empty cabinets that had been cleared out to be examined and investigated. He'd spent the day tying up rubber bands into a ball and tossed it up and down with glassy eyes.

Simon walked in nervously. "This is too weird."

"You're telling me. I nearly lobbed this at three guys today. Two of them worked for _us_." Jace groaned, throwing the rubber band ball at Simon, who caught it and examined it.

"You've had a more productive day than me, at least." Simon sighed.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yep. Me, Clary and the others have been going nuts down there. They shut down our computers to examine individual hard drives and everything; this is overkill." Simon revealed.

"Sons of bitches…I'm gonna stick it to Valentine and his horde of mindless zombies if it's the last thing I do. Which reminds me, I have someone to visit." Jace said, standing up and heading out.

"Jace, wait." Simon said.

Jace turned back. "What is it?"

"I, uh…what if they, you know…find out? About me?" Simon asked, clearly terrified.

Jace put his firm hands on Simon's shoulder. "They're investigating the firm as a whole, Si, not employees. Don't worry. I promise you it'll be okay. We'll work through this and then we're gonna take those sneaky bastards down once and for all."

"So, you're not worried at all?" Simon asked.

"Oh, I'm freakin' petrified. But for the firm. _Our_ firm. How's our one and only case coming along?" Jace asked.

"Alec's taking the lead; he was very insistent on it and Maryse and Robert hardly want to fight with him _again_ , so…yeah. The trial starts tomorrow. Just the opening statements." Simon explained.

"Okay, good. Alec can handle it. I really should go and pay a dear friend a visit, but don't worry. Okay?" Jace grinned. Simon wasn't sure if Jace's confidence was false or not.

"Yeah." Simon nodded, not entirely convinced. "Okay."

…

Alec sat in his office shuffling through paperwork in preparation for the trial when Isabelle appeared and gently knocked on the door.

"Hey. Everything alright?" Alec asked.

"Look at this place. It's about as far from alright as you can get." Isabelle sighed.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Iz. I know it is." Alec asserted.

"I know why you think that, big brother."

"Meaning?"

"This confidence you have; I know you're confident about the trial because of who you're up against. I read the file." Isabelle revealed, hands on hips.

"Exactly, so don't worry." Alec nodded.

"Alec, going up against Magnus is risky. We need the win. You and your secret boyfriend fighting it out may not be good not only for the firm but for your relationship." Isabelle said worriedly.

"Izzy, relax." Alec said, getting up and pulling his sister into a hug. "We talked about it last night; we're working on coming up with a settlement deal to put forward to the judge so we won't need to drag a trial out needlessly. Then we can devote all our time to clearing up this mess Valentine, Camille and their goons and dumped us in."

"And what if Magnus backs out and takes a win from you?"

"He won't. I trust him, Izzy. You should too." Alec stated.

"Well, I don't. Forgive me for not warming up to the man who's doing my big brother…you know what, I'm not even gonna talk about that. He's an amazing cook and cracks the odd good joke but that's it." Isabelle said firmly.

"Well, they'll be plenty of time to warm to him. I wasn't that fond of him at first either, remember? And now…"

"…I said we're not talking about that." Isabelle warned. "I just…this is so important, Alec. I hope you're right."

"I am. I swear. Tomorrow's gonna run like clockwork and we'll be back to business before we know it." Alec promised, cracking a rare smile which Isabelle soon reflected.

…

Maryse strutted into Luke's office. "Have you seen Robert?"

"Not for a while, no. He'll be around somewhere." Luke replied.

Maryse went to speak but gave up, leaning against the wall with a sigh and wiping her brow with her sleeve. "How? How did it come to this? Look at our firm, Lucian. It's in pieces."

"Our rivals know how strong we truly are and it scares them. That's why they always try and tear us down but they never have. And they never will." Luke stated.

"Forgive me for not being in the highest of spirits right now. I'm barely even speaking to my husband and children and now with this on top of it all…" Maryse sighed deeply. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle this."

"We don't get a choice here, Maryse. We _have_ to be strong enough. End of discussion. I'm not letting the man we once called a dear friend tear us apart, or our firm. I'd sooner die than let him win the day. Alec's going to smash it tomorrow and then we'll rebuild this place. We don't have anything to hide, remember?" Luke said passionately.

"We thought that last time." Maryse said. "And look what happened."

"Jocelyn was framed, just like Jace before her. If they find anything we have enough of a pattern to make a case to fight against these claims." Luke speculated.

"…I hope you're right." Maryse whispered.

…

"You're still here. Good. I think we need to talk." Jace stated angrily as he stepped into Dorothea's office. She looked up from her desk and waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm not in the mood for this, Wayland."

"I know Valentine's made you plant more false evidence in our files again, but to frame our whole firm and not just Jocelyn." Jace seethed.

"…Yes. I…I did." Dorothea nodded sadly.

"You disgust me, you know that? How can you not see that he's playing you like a violin?!"

"Because all I could see was my dream job!" Dorothea shouted as she stood up from her desk. Jace was surprised to see her cheeks were stained with tears. "But don't you worry; after I did it Valentine made it clear I was no longer of any use and that there was never a job waiting for me at Morgenstern Starkweather. You…you w-were right."

"A shocking twist." Jace rolled his eyes. "This isn't good."

"No, it's not." Dorothea sighed, head in her hands.

"If he's dumped you like this then he's confident he's won. He's got something up his sleeve; he must have." Jace speculated nervously.

"And what about me?!" Dorothea argued.

"You think I give two shits about you? You never should have done his dirty work in the first place!" Jace shouted.

"I…I know that now. I…I'm sorry." Dorothea choked, finally breaking down and turning away from Jace.

Jace was hit with the memory of Clary breaking down in tears as she watched the police take Jocelyn away. His heart ached. "…Look…can't you just undo everything?"

"It's too late; my data and hard drive has all been seized for inspection. There's nothing I can do." Dorothea cried quietly.

"Shit." Jace whispered. "Then come forward. Tell the authorities what Morgenstern Starkweather and Santiago Belcourt have made you do."

"If I do that I go to jail. I…I can't."

"And if they all get their way this firm is over and you're without a job."

"…I can't go to prison." Dorothea said, sobbing loudly again.

Jace was surprised to find that, despite everything, he felt a pang of sympathy for Dorothea; at least for the moment. He had to find another solution, and fast.

…

Jocelyn listened in astonishment as Clary, Simon and Isabelle explained to her what had been happening at Lightwood Garroway. Maryse, Luke and Jace had suggested they all go home and rest up after a stressful time while they remained behind to help Alec prepare for court the next day, so they instantly headed for Jocelyn's apartment.

"What can I say? They're monsters, every single one of them." Jocelyn shook her head as she poured everyone a cup of coffee. The three women were grouped on the couch while Simon sat in a separate armchair; he didn't mind the isolation so much since the chair reminded him of the one his dad would always sit in.

"It just feels like an impossible situation." Clary said sadly as Jocelyn supportively squeezed her hand.

"It sucks, but I trust mom and dad and Luke to fix it. Well, I trust mom and dad professionally, but that's about it." Isabelle declared. "Alec's going to smash the trial tomorrow and everything will start to go our way again. Luke was talking about gathering our own case against Morgenstern Starkweather and Santiago Belcourt."

"Makes a lot of sense." Jocelyn nodded. "How are you all feeling about it?"

"Terrified." – "Awful" – "Crapping my pants."

"…Well that's good then." Jocelyn grimaced.

"If we don't find a way through this, that's it. Kaput." Clary said sadly. "I don't think I'd ever be prepared to lose all of this."

"My family name is on that goddamn door and I'll be damned if it's not staying there." Isabelle stated.

Jocelyn looked at Simon, who seemed lost in his own little world. "Simon, would you mind helping me reach some ingredients from my shelf in the kitchen?"

"Oh, uh…okay." Simon muttered, following Jocelyn into the kitchen.

She shut the door behind them and turned to face him. "You're panicking. Don't panic."

"How can I not? They're digging into the firm, what if they find out about me?" Simon asked.

"That's not what they're after. Hell, if they had even an inkling about you being a fraud I'd be digging Lightwood Garroway's grave myself." Jocelyn took Simon's hands supportively. "Listen to me…you are worth more than your secret. Maybe things don't work out and maybe the firm collapses and that would be heartbreaking but you'd still have you and you'd still have Jace and Clary and all the friends you've made. Sometimes losing everything doesn't mean losing every _one_."

"I'd lose them if they all found out the truth."

"Jace found out the truth. Luke found out the truth. I found out the truth, and here I am holding your hands in the darkest of times. Just hold on to hope. Keep it alive. Don't forget that life doesn't start and end with Lightwood Garroway. No one needs to know your secret because despite you having it you still show people who you really are, so in a way you're not hiding a thing from anyone at all. I know all of this is crazy, but _we're_ all a bit crazy, aren't we? And it would be dull if we weren't. Maybe we lose the firm, but no one's going to find out about you because everyone knows who Simon Lewis is; gentle, loving and kind." Jocelyn smiled warmly.

Tears stinging his eyes, Simon hugged Jocelyn tight. "Thank you."

Simon and Isabelle left half an hour later, racing back to Isabelle's apartment on their bikes and laughing all the way, despite heavy rain drenching them all the way back.

"Even with a bike you're so slow." Isabelle laughed, chaining her bike up and searching her bag for her keys. Simon took off his suit jacket and held it over her to keep her as dry as he could, getting soaked in the process. Isabelle noticed what he was doing and couldn't help but smile.

"It's been a long day, okay?" Simon laughed.

"It has." Isabelle agreed. "And hey, don't worry too much. Alec's got this."

"I know he has." Simon nodded, moving his jacket away as Isabelle climbed up the steps to her front door and unlocked it, turning back to him.

"Do you, uh…do you want to come in for a coffee or…?" Isabelle asked.

"Oh, uh…I would but I should probably check on Jordan. He's like a puppy sometimes." Simon said sadly. _Don't let her get too close, you'd only hurt her._

"Oh, okay…no problem." Isabelle said, looking down. "I'll see you at the trial tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Simon smiled. Isabelle smiled back, giving a short wave as she closed the door. Simon's face dropped as she faded from view; he'd give the world to be able to squeeze the most out of every second with Isabelle Lightwood and not feel like he'd only be setting her up for an almighty fall.

He slowly put his soggy jacket back on, climbing onto his bike and riding off home, his mind as cloudy as the stormy skies above him.

…

Robert coughed into a handkerchief as he placed the empty glass onto the bar. His vision had blurred so much he hardly noticed a group of reporters with cameras at the ready approach him, microphones shoved at his face.

"W-What? Who are you?" Robert slurred.

"Nigel Rees, from The Guardian. Mr Lightwood, your family has exploded into the view of the press in recent weeks after scandal after scandal. Do you have any comments over your alleged affair?"

"…Have you been following me?" Robert asked.

"Mr Lightwood, I only have a few questions."

"Well you're not getting any answers."

"Mr Lightwood, are the accusations about your law firm credible? Some of our sources say that your firm is caught up in yet another scandal involving planting and hiding evidence. Is that correct?"

Robert froze as he finally processed the words. _Valentine leaked it to the press._

He saw red. Before he knew it, he'd acted and customers recoiled in shock as the reporter fell to the floor with a bleeding lip.

…

"Remember the last time we were cramped in a bathroom cubicle like this?" Magnus chuckled as he and Alec struggled to breathe in the confined cubicle space in the bathroom at the courthouse.

"That was the dirtiest club ever." Alec winced, disgusted by the memory of a horrid night out.

" _Yes it was_." Magnus whispered suggestively, closing the already small gap between his lips and Alec's.

"Stop it! We're gonna be late to go in." Alec blushed. "You've got the settlement deal, right?"

"Alexander, relax; I've shown it to you three times now." Magnus smiled.

"…Yeah, I know. Sorry. I'm kinda nervous." Alec admitted shyly.

"There's nothing to worry about, everything's gonna run smoothly." Magnus said, caressing Alec's cheek. "AT least, it better. Valentine and Hodge insisted on coming."

"Yeah, I've got pretty much the whole gang here today too. Except dad, for obvious reasons. Everyone's pissed at him." Alec sighed.

"Is the reporter pressing charges?" Magnus asked.

"Of course he is." Alec groaned. "Just another problem to add to the list of ever-growing problems."

"Well, at least it's time to solve one of them. Ready?"

"Yeah." Alec smiled. "Good luck."

Magnus grinned and kissed Alec again. "Good luck, Alexander."

…

The tension in the courtroom was palpable.

Maryse, Luke, Isabelle, Simon, Jace and Clary were all sat nervously in the row behind Alec, desperately trying to ignore Valentine and Hodge sat on the opposite side of the room. Jace wanted to scream his lungs out at them for all he had, but after Robert's drunken shambles earned him a lawsuit and bad publicity in the local papers, he had no choice but to refrain. Maryse had told Robert to stay at home and sober up; he'd only made Lightwood Garroway's waning reputation even worse.

"All rise." The judge declared. "Is the prosecution ready for their opening statement?"

Magnus coughed lightly. "Actually, your honour, we would like to propose a settlement offer for consideration after discussing with the defence and our respective clients."

Isabelle smiled to herself, happy in the knowledge that Magnus could be trusted. Magnus pulled out the file and went to hand it to the judge.

"Objection."

Everyone turned to face who had spoken out. Valentine.

"Mr Morgenstern? You would like to offer something to my court?" The judge asked.

"I didn't want it to come to this, your honour, but I must request permission to depose my colleague Magnus Bane and to take the lead prosecutor position."

A shocked silence filled the room for a moment.

"Excuse me?" Magnus asked, shocked and appalled. Hodge simply smiled.

"On what grounds, Mr Morgenstern?" The judge questioned.

"My colleague has gotten too emotionally involved in this case and the settlement offer is a result of emotional compromising." Valentine declared.

"That's preposterous, your honour!" Magnus argued. "I am in no way too involved with this case or my client."

"I wasn't referring to your client, Magnus." Valentine sighed, turning to glare at Alec, who froze and went white as a sheet. "Your honour, I had reason to believe my colleague Mr Bane was leaking private firm information to our rivals and this prompted an investigation. I have here phone records for the phone in Mr Bane's office, where he called the office of one Alec Lightwood of Lightwood Garroway a startling number of times; an average of three times a day for the past few months."

Isabelle tried to get Alec's attention, but he remained staring at Valentine pale as a ghost and unmoving. Maryse and Luke shared a look of confusion, as did Simon and Clary. Jace looked at Alec and his heart shattered. Valentine handed the documents to the judge, who looked them over curiously.

"What the hell are you doing, Valentine?" Maryse exclaimed, standing up.

"Mrs Lightwood, do not interrupt my court. Mr Morgenstern and Mr Morgenstern alone is allowed to say his piece until I say otherwise." The judge declared.

"I also have recordings of voicemails sent to and from both Mr Bane and Mr Alexander Lightwood that made it very clear that they are in a sexual relationship, and this settlement deal is unfair to both their clients and to the law system. This sham of a deal only exists because Mr Bane and Mr Lightwood are intimately and romantically involved.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Jace raged.

"MR WAYLAND!" The judge warned.

"Oh my god, this is horrible…" Clary whispered sadly.

"I recommend deposing Mr Bane and allowing me time to speak to our client about how to proceed as he has been misled in order for Mr Bane to pander a deal for the sake of his lover. It is an intolerable abuse of the law." Valentine declared victoriously.

"Agreed. Mr Bane is deposed and both he and Mr Lightwood will be receiving official warnings from the court of law. This case will go to trial and reconvene in three weeks." The judge declared, slamming the gavel and looking at Alec and Magnus. "I must express my disappointment in you both. Unless you deny these accusations?"

The judge looked to Alec, who remained unmoving but had tears welling up in his eyes. Alec tried to speak to no avail.

"Alec…" Maryse said.

Alec looked at his mother and saw her face change as the truth sank in. He looked to Jace and Magnus in desperation, a tear finally falling as he ran out of the room and burst through the doors.

"ALEC!" Isabelle cried after him, tears falling down her cheeks. Maryse stayed staring at where Alec was once stood, like he was a ghost.

"I'm gonna kill him." Jace seethed, moving for Valentine.

Simon stopped him. "He's not worth it. We need to help Alec."

Luke had rushed after Alec almost instantly, and Jace and Isabelle rushed out after him.

Magnus stormed up to Valentine and Hodge. "You bastards, how dare you? You're monsters, both of you."

"It's a shame Magnus, you were so loyal for so long." Hodge tutted.

"Fuck you, Hodge, you creep." Magnus spat.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Magnus. Truly, I am. But I have to act in the best interests of my firm. You're lucky you're only getting a warning and not losing your license." Valentine said.

"You piece of shit, why did you do this?" Magnus demanded.

"I had my doubts about your loyalty, so I had to check up on your activity. I got my friend Dorothea to look up your computer activity and as soon as I saw you'd been searching through our old case files and had been contacting Alexander so frequently it all soon made sense. I had to cut ties with Dorothea soon after, and it pains me to say I must do the same to you – I can't trust you to not give out our secrets to our rivals. You're fired. Good day, Magnus." Valentine said in a tone that indicated pride and disgusted Magnus to his core.

"I don't care that you fired me, I care about what you just did to Alec. He…he wasn't even out yet!" Magnus seethed.

"Not my problem." Valentine said. "Have a nice afternoon."

Valentine and Hodge departed with the rest of the crowd in court and their client. A tearful Clary took Alec's bewildered client outside to talk things through with them, leaving Simon with Maryse.

"Mrs Lightwood…"

Maryse remained still, her gaze fixated on where her son was stood. Where her son's life had crumbled in mere moments.

Simon hadn't known Maryse when her youngest son, Max, had died, but her face indicated that she was mourning a son all over again.


	20. Even Though I Feel Bad

"Si, someone at the door for you."

Simon made his way out of his room at the sound of Jordan's voice and headed to the door, where Jordan backed away to reveal Jace stood there.

"I'll be in my room." Jordan announced, turning away.

"No need for you to go, stay and have a drink with us." Jace said, holding up the bottle of whiskey in his hand. "I've had this for years; thought it was time to crack it open."

"If you say so." Jordan shrugged, hardly one to need to be convinced to drink alcohol of any sort. The three men sat down at the kitchen table, Simon getting out three glasses and allowing Jace to pour.

"This is awful." Simon coughed.

"Awfully good." Jordan smiled.

"I see I hired the wrong roommate." Jace smirked.

"Why're you here, Jace? You never make a habit of visiting." Simon asked nervously. "Especially not with alcohol in hand."

"When I find myself in times of trouble, mother whiskey calls to me…that's how the song goes, right?" Jace asked.

"Jace." Simon said sternly.

Jace was silent for a moment. "I don't know, I…things just aren't good, are they?"

"How's Alec?"

"His phone's off, and if he's in his apartment he's not answering to anyone. Even Magnus hasn't gotten hold of him." Jace explained. "Never a good sign. Poor bastard."

"Simon told me all about that, it's so awful." Jordan nodded.

"He could be an asshole, but he didn't deserve that." Simon commented.

"No one deserved that." Jace said sadly. "I mean, it's finally out in the open and everything but…at what cost?"

"Has Maryse tried to contact him? Or Robert?" Simon wondered.

"I think Robert tried a couple of times. Maryse hasn't. Isabelle's practically camped outside his apartment 24/7." Jace revealed.

"How's she doing?" Simon asked.

"Devastated for Alec, of course. It's just another piece of shit on top of an already very high pile of shit. She won't go near Maryse after how she reacted."

"She'll come round though?" Jordan enquired.

"Maybe. In time." Jace sighed, looking at Simon sadly. "Spectre Corps left us, by the way."

"Them too? Shit." Simon cursed.

"Spectre Corps? The, uh…the phone development company?" Jordan asked.

"One and the same. They fired us, along with practically every major client we have. And they'll be more to come. I've been on the phone for hours today trying to get people to stay with us with next to no luck." Jace admitted.

"The firm's reputation is in the gutter after all of this broke out. It's hardly surprising." Simon grumbled.

"Look, I get why they might see this as your firm having no integrity, but surely it would have the same effect on Morgenstern Starkweather too? And surely your results speak for your success as a firm?" Jordan speculated.

"Firing Magnus seems to have saved Morgenstern Starkweather from backlash." Jace said. "And results mean nothing without trust."

"So you might get clients back if you fired Alec?" Jordan asked. "Not that I approve of that."

"Maybe, but firing a Lightwood from Lightwood Garroway is hardly a good thing, either." Jace admitted. "We need to stick together right now."

"But if your integrity is called into question…"

"If we had integrity, he wouldn't be working there." Jace spat, pointing at Simon. The others looked taken aback. "I…sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"You're right, though." Simon said. "Luke wants me gone, and I shouldn't be working there. This might be a good time to quietly phase me out."

"No! We're gonna be watched like hawks from now on, every little move we make. You're not going anywhere. I'd love to be a squeaky clean law firm but you know what? This business is shitty and filled with shitty people who bend the law to get bad people off the hook. And good people, too, of course, but we're humans; we only focus on the bad. And if the only way I can keep people safe from the law is by using the people talented enough to get the job done, that's what I'm gonna do." Jace stated passionately, finishing his drink and pouring another.

"And if Simon ever got found out? That would be the end for your firm." Jordan said.

"Simon has done more for people since he's been there than most lawyers do in their whole careers. I'm not letting him just walk away from the good he can do." Jace said.

"And I love what I do, Jace, but after all of this…I don't think I can risk it anymore." Simon sighed.

"Fine, give up on your dreams. But if you quit now, there's no going back. It's not like you can work as an associate attorney and then enrol in law school afterwards, is it? Or even be a paralegal! People would be suspicious and do some digging. So stick with me and Clary and Izzy and people who care about you or go back to whatever miserable life you had before." Jace seethed.

"They wouldn't care about me if they knew I've lied to them from day one." Simon said, tears stinging his eyes.

"If they care about you like I know they do, they'd forgive you." Jace said softly.

…

Maryse slammed the phone down and smacked her hand down on her desk. "Son of a bitch!"

"Another client suing us for incompetence, I assume?" Luke asked solemnly.

"Another _ex_ -client suing us for incompetence, yes. I don't want to think about how many that is now. This is bigger than us, Lucian."

"Don't say that until we know everything we have to face, Jocelyn."

"We have next to no clients, we have people quitting the firm, we have lawsuits pouring in, Robert is – surprisingly – not here to help, and Alec…" Maryse's voice choked on the name.

"…Have you spoken to him yet?" Luke asked, knowing the answer.

"…He'd want us to focus on the firm." Maryse said.

"That'll be the last thing on his mind, Jocelyn." Luke sighed, walking up to her. "The firm could go up in flames for all he cares right now; all he wants is for his mother to hold him and tell him she loves him. And always will love him, no matter who or what he is."

"…And what if I can't do that?" Maryse asked, a tear down her cheek.

Luke looked genuinely shocked by Maryse's words. "…Then it was selfish of you to have children."

Maryse said nothing more, turning away from Luke and sitting at her desk as Jace hurried in. "Any updates?"

"Even deeper in the shit." Luke said, unable to look at Jocelyn as he guided Jace outside. "We need all the help we can get right now."

"I know that." Jace nodded.

"This is a chance for reinvention. We need to do all we can to get back on our feet, and when we do, I want Simon gone. No more risks." Luke ordered firmly before walking off, leaving a mortified Jace alone with his dark thoughts.

…

Isabelle held back the tears as she hung up her phone, her head in her hands as she rested on her desk. Simon walked in cautiously. "Hey."

Isabelle looked up. "Hi. Everything still falling to shit?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Yeah…I'm still hoping this is all a horrible nightmare I can wake up from." Isabelle admitted.

"Hey, we'll find a way through it." Simon said, sitting on Isabelle's desk and rubbing a hand up and down her back. She reached across the desk and took his other hand in hers.

"…Honestly, you're one of the only reasons I even woke up today." Isabelle admitted sadly. Simon was overcome with an urge to just hold her close to him, but forced himself to resist it.

"How's Alec?" He asked.

"I have no idea. He won't speak to me, or anyone." Isabelle said. "I just…how could Valentine do that? I knew he was evil, but…that was just inhumane. I really don't know what to do. I don't think I can cope with this after everything else. W-what…what do I have left?"

The tears flowed. Simon rushed around the desk and pulled her into a hug, letting her sob into his shoulder as he ran a hand through her hair. "You have me. Always."

Even through the tears, Isabelle let herself smile at his words as the smell of him calmed her like the end of a storm.

…

Clary quickly turned off her computer monitor as she saw Jace approaching her cubicle, something he picked up on straight away.

"Something you don't want me to see?" He asked.

Clary looked deep in thought for a moment. "…Honestly?"

"It'd be a nice change to talk to someone who was."

"I was looking up jobs." Clary admitted. "Just in case."

"It won't come to that; we'll be fine." Jace stated adamantly.

"…How can you be sure?" Clary asked.

"Because I don't like the alternative. I, uh…I just wanted to thank you for the other day, sorting out the client after we all ran out of court." Jace said shyly.

"Oh, uh…no problem. Is Alec okay?"

"No one knows. He's not letting anyone in. We've all been trying to get through to him…well, most of us, anyway." Jace explained.

"Poor guy…" Clary sighed sadly.

"…Yeah." Jace ran a hand through his hair. "I better go. Uh…don't you dare find any decent jobs on there, okay?"

Clary smiled briefly. "Cross my heart."

"Okay…bye."

"Uh, yeah. Bye."

Jace turned and walked off, before the self-loathing inside of him forced him to turn and rush back. "Clary, I…I'm sorry. Everything with Alec and Magnus and the other firms and Jocelyn and…and us. When, uh…when all of it kicked off I was a jerk to you, trying to push you away. I'm sorry."

"I figured that's what it was, but I just never understood why you acted like you didn't care." Clary admitted.

"Because…believe me when I say I really do wish I could tell you. Maybe one day you'll find out, but…I'm sorry, I can't say why. I know that's ridiculous but…maybe you'll understand one day." Jace said, tentatively entering the cubicle, kneeling down and taking Clary's hands in his. "Despite everything, whatever was happening with us…it was real for me. I…I really liked you. I…I really like you."

Clary smiled sweetly yet sadly. "I really like you too. Even if you are a jerk."

Jace laughed and Clary joined him.

"And maybe, I don't know…if there's ever a time when the pieces all fall into place and I'm lucky enough that you haven't found someone, maybe…maybe we could give it another shot? A proper shot?" Jace suggested.

Clary was moved by his vulnerability. This was the real Jace; she hadn't seen him for a long while. She'd missed him. "I guess I better put my faith in the pieces, then."

"I will if you will." Jace beamed.

They looked one another in the eyes for a brief moment before their lips met. All too soon, they parted and returned to the real world, faith in their every heartbeat.

…

" _Robert, we need you here. I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but our whole livelihood is crumbling around us. Not just your firm, but your family too. I…please, Robert. Come back to us."_

Luke's voice message ended. Robert turned off his phone and threw it to his side, landing by a picture of him, Maryse, Alec and Isabelle taken years beforehand. He didn't recognise a single person in the photo, not anymore. Not even himself.

He opened another can of beer and wished the world away.

…

A gentle knock on the door. "…Alec?"

Alec knew the voice but hadn't heard it in a while. He sat up from the couch and stared at the door through squinted eyes. The curtains had been shut for days; he hadn't eaten, showered or slept more than a few hours. He didn't plan on leaving the apartment again.

"Who is it?" He croaked. He hadn't spoken aloud in days.

"It's Clary. Clary Fray? Jocelyn's daughter. I…I thought you might want to talk. You know, to someone without the surname Lightwood, Garroway, Wayland or Bane."

She'd made the effort to come all the way to his apartment. The least he could do was make an effort in telling her to go away. He stood up and slowly unlocked and opened the door.

"I don't want to talk." Alec said.

"Then why did you answer the door?" Clary asked.

"My voice isn't strong enough to shout right now. How did you find out where I live?"

"Isabelle told me. She said I might as well give it a shot because she misses you and loves you. Everyone's been calling you."

"Everyone? So my mom called me, did she?" Alec asked. "Just go away."

"No chance." Clary said. "Let me say my piece, okay? Please."

Alec sighed. She reminded him far too much of her mother, which could only mean she was as stubborn. He leant an arm against the doorway, blocking Clary from potentially walking past him and into the apartment. "I'm listening."

Clary smiled, diving underneath Alec's arm and heading inside. Alec shook his head and closed the door, facing her with a solemn expression.

"Look, I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling. But I can imagine being made a spectacle of. When…what happened with mom happened…I was flooded with questions, some from reporters and some not. I was so overwhelmed I felt like I was constantly about to collapse and I wanted to just shut them all out. But I realised that wouldn't make it go away. I had to own it. Accept it. Embrace it. Life is a game, and when you draw a crap card, just burn the damn thing." Clary began.

Alec unexpectedly smiled at that. It sounded like something Magnus would say.

"I wish you could've expressed yourself on your own terms in your own time, and I'm sure it's gonna be a long and hard road but you've just gotta work with what you're given and make the most of it. Kinda like a crappy load of evidence in court; you make it work anyway." Clary continued. "Just know that you have so many people on your side. And if you can't talk to anyone too closely involved in this, you can talk to me. Or Simon. Actually no, not Simon – he'd be useless at this."

Alec was silent for a while. "…And my parents?"

"Your dad tried to call you. I'm not gonna pretend that Maryse's reaction wasn't ideal, but if she doesn't come round…then that's not the kind of person you need in your life. She'll always be your mother, but it's up to you to decide if she deserves to be your mom. And it's up to you to decide exactly who deserves to know the real you now because everyone is meeting him for the very first time. And I believe in him. You didn't get to control this happening, but there's nothing you can't take charge of now. Not anything that should matter, anyway."

Alec took a few steps forward. "…Luke said Jocelyn gave amazing speeches. Must have robbed off on you. I just…I still need time to process this. Take it slow."

"Of course. Baby steps."

"I mean, I…I'm only just meeting the real me too." Alec admitted, tearing up.

"Well, can step one be me opening the curtains because I can barely see?" Clary suggested. Alec smiled slightly and nodded. Clary made her way to the windows and pulled the curtains, bright light filling the apartment for the first time in days. "Wow, this place is a dump."

"I'll get round to it. I, uh…I should shower, maybe? Or find my phone and call Izzy? Or Magnus?"

"Whichever order you wanna do it, do it. There are plenty of people desperate to know you're okay." Clary smiled.

"I'm not okay." Alec said. "But I think I'm going to be. Thank you. I guess I did need to talk to someone on the outside."

"As long as I don't stay there." Clary said. "I think we should hug it out."

"Firstly, I stink. Secondly, I don't hug. Not gonna happen." Alec stated with a smirk and Clary laughed. "I'm gonna shower. Clear my head and refresh myself for when I call people."

"I'll tidy up a bit and find your phone in this mess." Clary announced.

"Clary…?"

"Yeah?"

"…You're gonna make a hell of a lawyer someday." Alec said.

Clary was touched yet confused. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you're one hell of a person. And if I were into women…well, no, I wouldn't date you because I'm not really into redheads but…you know what I mean."

Clary beamed. "That means a lot to me."

"Well, so did everything you've just said to me." Alec smiled. A real smile, this time.

…

Simon hurried to the door at the sound of a loud knock, wondering what the hell could have happened now. He opened it to find Isabelle stood there, dishevelled and distressed.

"Izzy, are you okay?" Simon asked worriedly.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, yeah."

Isabelle hurried inside and sat on the couch, throwing off her long coat and trying to fix her hair that had been blown all over the place by the wind. Simon sat down next to her and saw she was trying desperately to hold back tears.

"What is it? Is it Alec?" Simon wondered.

"No, he called me; I, I think he's in a good place, at least for now. Clary talked to him." Isabelle revealed.

Simon smiled, proud of his friend. "Then what's wrong?"

"…Is Jordan here?" Isabelle asked.

"No, she's out with Maia, why?"

"I don't want anyone else hearing this. I, uh…I went to my mom and dad's house because dad hadn't been in all day and I was worried yet still so angry with him after…you know, after everything…and I have a spare key so I went in and found him passed out on the floor. He'd been drinking, and I mean…a-a lot." Isabelle explained tearfully.

"Well, I…a lot has happened to your family lately." Simon guessed.

"You don't get it. He…years ago, before Alec and I were even born, he had a huge drinking problem. Hospitalisations and everything. He'd given it up for years then just had a rare drink or two on occasion, you know, he had it under control. But this…it was just like the sights mom had told me about seeing when she'd come home to him years ago. It…it was horrific. I t-thought he was dead for a minute or two and I…why is this family so broken…?"

More tears fell down her cheeks as Simon wrapped an arm around her. "Hey…it's alright. How is he now?"

"…Okay, I think. Mom came back and sorted him out, adamant he was fine and it was a one-off, but I'm not sure. Then we had this huge fight about Alec and I stormed out and…I came here. I…I don't know why I came here." Isabelle said softly as she composed herself, her eyes on Simon the whole time she spoke.

"I'm glad you did." Simon smiled sweetly. Isabelle smiled back, taking his hand.

"…What's wrong with you, Simon? There must be something because…I just can't think of anything." Isabelle said.

"I, uh…what?" Simon asked nervously.

"I'm just…I'm really glad Jace found you." Isabelle smiled.

"Me too." Simon grinned. "Otherwise I wouldn't have met you."

Isabelle's eyes were like fire again; Simon always got lost in the flames of Isabelle Lightwood. He barely registered she was leaning towards him until just in time for him to move away. "Izzy…"

"What the hell, Simon?" Isabelle asked, turning argumentative as she stood up. "We've been playing this game for way too long! I know when a guy wants to kiss me and you, Simon Lewis, want to kiss me!"

Simon stood up and faced her. "Izzy, look…I, I just can't. We can't."

"Why?" Isabelle asked genuinely. "What is so wrong with the idea? With me?"

"Nothing!" Simon exclaimed, placing his hands on her smooth shoulders. As always, she was wearing a killer dress, thought Simon tried not to pay too much attention to that given his current proximity to her. "Izzy, you are the most…the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And you're smart and brilliant and funny and…everything. You are everything. I just…we shouldn't."

"Simon, I…I've been with my fair share of guys, but I've never felt something for them. And then there's you and I…we haven't so much as kissed and I have these feelings for you that I've never felt for someone before…I…I'm tired of it. I love the flirting and the thrill of the chase, but with you…I want to skip all of that now and just…I want you." Isabelle admitted.

Simon couldn't believe he was hearing everything he ever dreamed would come out of Isabelle's mouth. But he also knew that she shouldn't be a part of his world. He could never tell her. But god, did he want to hell her. Would it really be so terrible if she knew? If she could forgive him, then why not? Maybe it was worth the risk?

 _That's a selfish thought. She deserves the world…but_ _I'd give her the world_ _._

"…You still owe me one more favour, remember?" Isabelle whispered, stepping closer to Simon. "I'm calling it in."

"Izzy…" Simon was practically breathless in his attempts to take her in.

"…I want you to kiss me."

Simon looked into her eyes. He knew he shouldn't. He looked at the woman who lit up every room she entered. The woman who made him look like a fool when he first met her. The woman who could do anything she set her mind to. The woman he was in awe of. The woman he was inspired by. The woman he was in love with.

… _I love her._

"Kiss me." Isabelle whispered again, her heart thumping out of her chest.

Simon had lost the power to think. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her into him and pressed his lips against hers. The world disappeared around them. All he could see, all he could taste, all he could touch was her. All she wanted was to never let go of him and to remember the feeling of his mouth on hers until the day she died.

Isabelle wrapped her arms around Simon's neck as the kiss deepened and they backed up against a wall. They took in the taste of the other's mouths, the feel of their tongues, the heat of their skin touching.

She took off his glasses and threw them aside, reaching for his tie and continuing the kiss as she untied it and pulled his shirt out from his trousers. The tie fell to the floor as Isabelle ran a finger up and down Simon's shirt, finally stopping at the top button and undoing it, savouring the moment as she unbuttoned the whole shirt. It fell angelically off his chest and onto the floor as he wrapped his large arms around her as she rubbed her hands over his chiselled chest.

His hands found the back of her dress, unbuttoning the top and finding the zipper. As he pulled it down and the velvety dress curved around her front, he moved his lips away from hers and kissed a line down her jaw and sucking at her neck. She grabbed his hair with her hand and held him there as he kissed her, moaning with pleasure.

She raised her arms up and let him pull the dress off of her and onto the floor as she kicked off her heels. They held each other close again, her hands rubbing the muscles of his back before moving down to unclip his belt and unzip his trousers. They fell and were discarded to the once tidy floor, now littered with clothes.

Their lips met again with delicious, furious passion as he placed his hands under her thighs and lifted her up and held her there. She wrapped her arms back around his neck and her legs around his waist, both of them moaning with delight each time their lips briefly parted for air.

" _Simon_."

" _Izzy_."

" _Bedroom_."

Their lips never parted as he carried her across the apartment and kicked open his bedroom door. As he carried her inside, she kicked the door closed behind them and they fell back onto the bed.


	21. The Swift Don't Win The Race

Simon woke as the sun hit his eyes through a gap in his curtains. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair as he turned to look at his alarm clock, which should have gone off half an hour ago. He normally just kept the 'on' switch where it was, but it had been turned off.

Simon grinned. _Izzy._

He turned to his other side and was surprised to see an empty where not too long ago he was holding Isabelle Lightwood in his arms. By god, nothing in the world had ever felt so right. It had been the greatest night of his life; quite literally a hell of a ride. That's a story to tell the grandkids.

 _Wait…ew. No, no it's not!_

Simon noticed Isabelle's clothes were nowhere to be seen in the room – had she really just got up and left after what happened between them? After everything they said and did (multiple times)?

Then he remembered her dress had slid off that gorgeous body before they'd entered the bedroom, so there was a glimmer of hope. Simon got out of bed, slid on some boxers and opened the door, eyes squinted.

Two blurry figures were sat at the kitchen table, turning to face him as he entered the living area. One of them stood up to greet him, silky black hair falling down her neck. Simon could quite easily make out the grin on her face even with his poor vision due to how wide it was.

"Morning." Isabelle beamed. She was wearing nothing but the shirt Simon had worn the night before.

"Mooorning, Simon." Jordan smirked, sat at the table like a righteous king.

"Morning." Simon grinned, fixated on Isabelle. She was the most beautiful blur he'd ever seen.

"I appreciate you putting on the boxers, at least." Jordan chuckled, heading over to Simon and placing an item in his hands – his glasses. "I'll give you two a minute. We will be talking about this in great detail, you sly fox."

Simon laughed quietly and shook his head as he put on his glasses and watched Jordan head into his room, looking very pleased with himself. He hoped the 'great detail' Jordan was expecting wasn't a serious request. He clocked two stacks of clothes on the couch; his and Isabelle's clothes from the night before. As he looked at Isabelle he hoped it wasn't too obvious how happy he was to see her wearing his shirt.

"…Uh…hi." Simon said.

Isabelle giggled. "Hi."

Silence. But not a weird one. Comfortable. Happy. Relaxed.

"I, uh…I didn't know if you'd left or not." Simon admitted shyly.

"I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye." Isabelle beamed. "I came out here to make us breakfast in bed but Jordan was already up so…I couldn't really cover up what happened last night."

The way her voice had gotten slightly higher as she said 'what happened last night' made Simon grin. "Yeah, that was…um…that was amazing."

"It was." Isabelle nodded with a sweet smile, stepping forward and placing her hands on Simon's chest, the tips of her fingers lightly caressing his skin. She was blushing but smiling all the same. "I'm really glad it happened."

Simon couldn't help himself; he couldn't restrain himself when the most beautiful girl in the world was looking at him like _that_. "Me too."

Isabelle's eyes were brighter than Simon had ever seen them. "I, uh…I know there's so much going on right now, and so much to deal with, but I…I really want us to find time to talk about this. Us."

"…Yeah." Simon nodded, about ninety seven percent sure Isabelle had taken his breath away.

"I meant every word that I said." Isabelle said. "I don't want this to go away. This is real for me. I, um…I want us to give it a shot, you know? You and me. Together. Even if we decide to sort out everything at work first or throw caution to the wind…either way, I don't want this to go away. Is, um…is that how you feel or am I making myself look stupid?"

This was Simon's chance to get out. To guarantee the girl he loved wouldn't be dragged into his shamble of a life. Sometimes love was a curse. Love, their love, had been built from a lie. Did that still make it love?

He had to know.

"You couldn't look stupid if you tried." Simon smiled. "Look at you."

He ran a hand through her hair; she leaned into his touch and ached for his lips. He kissed her so gently she wanted to cry.

"I never want there to be a last time I kiss you. Even if it's in another life. That's how I feel about you, Izzy."

Her eyes now bright with tears, Isabelle kissed Simon again. There was heat in the kiss like there had been the night before. The feel of their lips had been burned into each other's skin. A beautiful pain.

"Is Jordan heading out anytime soon?" Isabelle whispered into Simon's lips.

"I don't think so."

"Shame…I suppose we'll have to try and be quiet." Isabelle smirked, biting her lip as she gripped the top of Simon's boxers and led him towards his bedroom.

"No promises." Simon smirked, sweeping Isabelle up into his arms with the bedroom door closing behind them being the only thing drowning out her laughter.

…

"Tyler, we've been together for _decades_ , this is…you _can_ trust the firm! Then trust _me_! You've always said I was worth more than my company…oh, I see. So when it comes down to sticking to your word…the only thing I'm sorry for is believing the bullshit. Integrity? You want to talk about integrity? Tyler? Tyler? Piece of shit!" Maryse exclaimed, angrily slamming the phone down and banging her fist on her desk.

"Another one bites the dust." Robert grumbled from the corner.

"I thought you were going to try and keep Zuckerman on board?" Maryse accused.

Robert nodded. "I called him four times. Got hung up on four times and told that he'd only sue us if we ever called him again."

"Shit." Maryse cursed.

Luke walked in with a stack of folders, placing them on Robert's desk. "The latest batch of lawsuits."

"You shouldn't have." Robert faked a smile.

"Do we have any good news? Anything? Did Valentine get hit by a bus or something that can brighten my day?" Maryse wondered.

"Well, I managed to convince Haskins Corporation and Richards Ltd. to stay signed with us. Some of the smaller investors, I know, but it's something." Luke revealed.

"Small victories. I'll take any I can get. Certainly a better result than some others." Maryse said, glancing to Robert.

"Oh, taking jabs at me are you? What a refreshing change." Robert rolled his eyes.

"Don't get me started, Robert." Maryse warned.

"How about we save the petty jabs for after we save our firm, yeah? Just putting it out there." Luke suggested before receiving a call on his phone and heading out.

Silence.

"…Have you spoken to Isabelle today?" Robert asked eventually.

"If I had, I'd have told you." Maryse said, pretending to work at her desk so as to not to have to look Robert in the eye. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you have a phone too. Whether or not you're capable of using it as of late is another matter."

"I know I was in a bad way when she found me -"

"- That was the worst I'd ever seen you, Robert. Not that I let Isabelle know that. She thought you were dead." Maryse spat, disgusted.

"Jesus…" Robert sighed, head in his hands.

"I don't think he's gonna help you." Maryse said. "You drink yourself half to death, let your daughter find you lying there and yet you still had a glass of whiskey this morning. Don't think I didn't see you."

"…Maryse…"

"I don't want to hear it. I am _sick_ of your voice. When I get home I'm getting rid of every drop of alcohol I can find and I swear I'm tearing that place apart when I look. And if I get even a hint of you bringing any home with you…drink yourself to death if you want, Robert, but at least have the curtesy not to do it in our house."

Luke walked back in solemnly. "That was Jocelyn. We're all over the papers."

"What papers?" Robert asked.

Luke sighed. "All of them."

…

Jace was shocked by the silence as the elevator doors opened on the 35th floor. He could quickly see why it was so quiet; there were only about half the number of the employees he'd normally expect to see working at their cubicles, Clary among them.

He hurried over to Clary's cubicle. "Where the hell is everyone?"

"They've either quit or ignoring our calls wondering where they are. It's not just clients who are pissed, apparently." Clary revealed.

"Shit." Jace sighed.

"And this is one of the busier floors." Clary added sadly.

"Double shit." Jace cursed furiously.

"That about sums it up, yeah." Clary nodded.

"And where's Lewis?" Jace asked.

"Here! Sorry." Simon announced as he hurried into the room from the stairwell.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jace demanded.

"Oh, uh…sorry. Long story." Simon said, letting a smile creep along his lips.

"Our firm's in the gutter and you're smiling?" Jace wondered angrily.

Simon's face dropped. "Sorry. No. This is all crap, I know. I just…sorry."

Clary stood up and smirked. "Oh my god, you had sex."

"Lewis? Doubt it." Jace remarked.

"The way you walked in was a different pace, you're holding yourself differently…you had sex!" Clary pointed accusingly at Simon. "But I thought you were into Izzy!"

"I was. Once last night and once this morning." Simon blushed.

"I KNEW IT! YES! Don't appreciate the imagery, but I'm so happy for you two!" Clary exclaimed happily before noting the blankness on Jace's face. "Sorry. We can talk about that later."

"Yes. We will." Jace grumbled, his icy glare fixated on Simon.

Silence.

"…So…how's the client situation?" Clary asked, sensing some obvious tension she didn't feel confident enough to tackle head on.

"Picture the worst thing you can think of and triple it." Jace grumbled.

"Hey, we'll work it out." Clary forced a smile, rubbing her hand up and down Jace's arm supportively.

Simon saw Jace's eyes light up for a few moments as he smiled at Clary and reached for her hand, only to stop and pull away. Then he watched the light fade from them as Jace turned to face him. "Let's go to my office."

…

Jace sat on his desk glaring at Simon, who was sat in front of him on an expensive padded chair. It had been silent since they'd walked in.

Simon spoke up. "…I know brooding is kinda your thing, but -"

"- You and Izzy."

"I figured that's what this would be about."

"Oh, really?" Jace oozed sarcasm. "You didn't think we had enough on our plate already so you thought you'd sleep with Isabelle too?"

"She came over and she was really upset and…things were said and it just happened and I'm sorry but I…I don't regret it. I couldn't if I tried." Simon explained.

"We talked about this, Simon. We agreed to keep Isabelle and Clary away from our own little mess."

"I know, but I…I guess I'm not as strong as you when it comes to that. I didn't even think there was a possibility that Izzy felt the way she does. I mean, _look at her_ , and then you look at me…would she have even looked at me twice eight months ago? Before all of this? I can't regret coming here now I've met her. Clary. Hell, even you."

Jace sighed. "…You think I don't want to run down three floors and sweep Clary off her feet and say 'screw it'? We don't get that luxury. You think you can have a relationship with Izzy and be lying to her every day about the reason you two even met?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But I do know that I'd rather do hard with her than easy with anyone else." Simon stated.

"…Okay, I'll let you be an adult. But she's like a sister to me, and I swear if there's ever a very real chance of her getting too close to the truth you need to step back. Even…even if it breaks her heart." Jace ordered.

"I care about her too much to let her get too close. I promise." Simon stated meaningfully.

"…We shouldn't even be considering risking so much, you know." Jace sighed.

"I know. But we're only human." Simon said solemnly.

"…What was she upset about?" Jace asked.

"What?"

"You said Izzy was upset when she came over to your place. What was she upset about?" Jace asked.

"I don't know if it's my place to say." Simon said cautiously.

…

"Thought I'd find you in here."

Isabelle looked up from her desk to see Alec stood shyly by the door. Saying nothing, she stood up, walked up to her brother and hugged him tight. It was the longest hug they'd ever had.

"I'm sorry for letting you just sit outside my place while I locked myself away." Alec said, closing the door as Isabelle sat up on her desk and invited him to join her.

"You needed time to process, it's okay. Clary told me she was going to talk to you."

"Yeah, she, uh…she really helped." Alec nodded. "…So what disastrous part of our lives should we talk about first?"

"I don't know where to start." Isabelle sighed. "Have you spoken to Magnus?"

"Yeah, uh…we're gonna take a break from each other for a bit. You know, keep our heads down and away from each other." Alec revealed.

Isabelle comfortingly touched Alec's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I think we both need to keep apart for a little while. We always knew we were playing with fire and yet we still carried on like we were invincible. We haven't drawn a line under it, you know? It's just time." Alec said.

"…Ugh, I'm gonna kick Valentine in the nuts so hard he'll fold up and disappear into himself." Isabelle groaned.

Alec smiled. "I would pay a lot to see that."

"Admission would be free of charge." Isabelle smiled sweetly. "What about mom and dad?"

"I spoke to dad for a very awkward thirty seconds, and mom? She can't look me in the eye." Alec sighed.

"And that's her problem, not yours."

"I know it sounds awful, but I'm kind of glad the firm is in the gutter; it's a pretty great distraction." Alec admitted.

"If it helps, I can't say things are great with mom and dad for me either. We really are in this together. I found dad flat out drunk; thought he was dead. I think he's getting pretty bad again." Isabelle revealed.

"Shit." Alec grumbled. "That can't have been nice to see."

"Mom took care of it and I got out of there. I can hardly speak to her after how she's treated you. But she'll come round, I know she will."

"I hope so." Alec nodded. "Has anything positive happened to balance out all of the bullshit?"

"Well, I suppose you could say some things are pretty good." Isabelle smiled. "But let's focus on making the bullshit good, yeah?"

"Well, at least there is some light in the darkness." Alec said, wrapping an arm around his sister as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd be happy to hear all about it. It'd make a nice change."

"Well, I had some pretty great sex."

"And we'll stop right there."

…

Robert walked through the front door slowly. He made his way in through the hall and into the living room, his hand sliding against the wall for support. Maryse was sat in an armchair waiting for him.

He stopped and looked at her. "…Don't suppose I should lie about where I've been."

"…No. I suppose not. Though I'll give you some credit; you seem to be standing on your own two feet better than I expected." Maryse said quietly.

"I lost a lot of very old clients today, Maryse. Friends."

"So did I. But I have self-control and a firm I care about." Maryse stated.

"I care about our firm _too_." Robert stepped forward.

Maryse stood up. "I know. Believe me, I know you do. Deep down in your heart, you care for a lot of things. The firm, yes. Booze, of course. The children, without question. Me? Maybe. Yourself? Not one bit."

"I care about you, Maryse, of course I do. You're my wife."

"You care, but do you love?" Maryse asked. Robert was stunned to silence. "So much has happened to our family. Valentine, Max, Jocelyn, Alec and the firm, Isabelle finding you…I don't think your heart has enough room in it for everything. Not for me."

"Don't say that about me." Robert warned.

"No, I don't mean it in a bad way, Robert. It's smart. Logical. I'm only saying it because I feel the same way." Maryse said. Her eyes were sparkling with the threat of tears.

Robert walked slowly up to her and noted the pain in her eyes. "Maryse…"

"Do you remember our honeymoon? When we danced on the beach as the sun set?" Maryse asked tearfully.

Robert's eyes stung. "Of course I do."

"…Have you ever felt anything like that since?"

Robert said nothing.

A tear fell down Maryse's cheek. "Neither have I."

"Don't put yourself through this." Robert pleaded.

Maryse tentatively took Robert's hand. "You need to make room in your heart to love yourself. We both do. And we may be married but it's been so long since it felt like we were together."

Robert stared at her. "…I love you."

Maryse smiled through a stream of tears. "I know. And I love you. But not the way we used to love."

Robert let a tear fall. "…I know."

"We're not losing our firm. We're not letting Valentine and Hodge destroy us. We keep our brave faces on and we build back up. We don't have to make anything official with us until then, but…" Maryse began.

"You don't have to say it." Robert whispered. "…I'll sleep in Alec's old room from now on. But we tell the kids what's happening. We keep too much from them already. We're close to losing them as it is."

Maryse sobbed. "I've already lost them, Robert."

"A once beautiful vase that's glued back together with cracks still showing is better than no vase at all." Robert said. "Without me in your heart, there's more room for them now. We'll be partners, and the best of the best too."

Maryse nodded with a broken heart and hugged Robert to start the process of mending it. "Help me save the firm, but please save yourself too."

"I can't promise it'll be quick and easy. I'll need time."

"You have it." Maryse whispered. "Can…can you tell the kids?"

Robert nodded into her shoulder and held her silently as she cried.

…

Isabelle couldn't hold back her smile as she heard the doorbell ring and rushed to answer it. Simon beamed at her as he handed her a bouquet of flowers and kissed her with all he had.

"I could get used to this." She grinned.

"Good." Simon smiled as Isabelle took his hand and guided him inside. "Sorry I didn't get to see you at work. We've all had a hell of a day."

"I know, it's okay. I don't really want to think about any of that after the amount of clients we lost today." Isabelle sighed, sitting on her soft silk couch with Simon joining her and linking his fingers into hers.

"How's Alec doing? And your parents?"

"Clary worked her magic on Alec; he's gonna work it out. I think he'll be okay. He's a really strong person; people tend to underestimate him. I don't even know where things stand with mom and dad. Our family's messed up at the best of times." Isabelle said.

"You certainly haven't seemed to have it easy. My family have always been nuts but…I don't know…" Simon began.

"But you're always on each other's side?" Isabelle posed and Simon nodded. "I can't remember a time when we were all on the same page over things. I mean, Alec and I have all these ideas about the future of Lightwood Garroway that mom and dad won't even make time in their day to hear."

"Well, one day you'll be able to implement them when you inherit the firm, right?" Simon asked.

Isabelle smiled. "Maybe. We'd need the firm to last longer than five minutes before we have anything to take over."

"Hey, everything will find its way. I firmly believe that everything has a way of working itself out in the end." Simon smiled, wrapping an arm around Isabelle as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm really glad we're doing this." Isabelle whispered with a smile as she ran Simon's tie through her fingers.

"Me too." Simon smiled down at her.

"…Listen, after how everything's been at the firm and with my family, I…I'm tired of the lies and the secrets. I really, really want us to work, Simon…I just, I just need to know that there's no walls between us. Nothing that could tear us apart. I'm sick of losing people and I don't think I could cope with losing you." Isabelle begged, looking up at Simon with so much hope in her eyes it made him hate himself.

 _The truth would ruin her._

"Simon?" She pressed. Simon's heart was thumping.

"…I'm not a creepy serial killer, if that's what you're worried about." Simon smiled and Isabelle laughed.

"Well that's excellent news." She kissed him and got up from the couch. "I'll crack open some wine."

"Great." Simon forced a smile as Isabelle glided over to her kitchen as graceful as ever.

The second she left the room, the realisation of what he'd just done sunk in. Simon's smile faded and the feeling of a storm brewing in his chest looked set to remain there for quite some time.


	22. All Of Us Get Lost In The Darkness

Simon couldn't remember the last time he'd woken up in the morning in someone else's bed. He enjoyed all the comforts of home, but as he opened his eyes to the beautiful maroon walls, silk bedsheets and delicate warmth of Isabelle Lightwood's bedroom, he knew he was where he most wanted to be. He rolled onto his side and smiled at the sight of Isabelle lying next to him, her face beaming.

"You talk in your sleep." Isabelle smiled. "I finally found a flaw. It was still annoyingly adorable though."

Simon laughed lightly. "I'll let you know if I discover you have a flaw then, shall I?"

"Only if it's annoying adorable." Isabelle grinned, kissing him.

Simon knew he was where he wanted to be with who he wanted to be with, but deep down all he could think was that he didn't deserve any of it. Everything had been built on a lie. He'd wanted to protect her from him but somehow he'd let it go too far. He'd fallen into a trap by falling in love. There was no way for it to end happily; either the truth would kill her or the lie would kill him.

"Can we just stay in bed?" Simon asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"How long for?"

"I don't know, for…ever?"

Isabelle laughed. "As incredible as that would be, I think we have a law firm to sort out pronto."

"Crap, you're right." Simon sighed; just hearing any words relating to his job felt like a punch in the gut to him now. He hadn't even been responsible for all the actions of Morgenstern Starkweather that had ripped Lightwood Garroway and its people apart and yet he felt like it was all his fault. It felt like he'd plagued and cursed them from the moment he'd first stepped through the door on that fateful day. He was poisoning the well, and the more bad things that happened, the more Simon blamed himself for it. He couldn't even feel sorry for himself about it; it wasn't like he didn't deserve it.

 _But Jace doesn't. Clary. Alec. Robert and Maryse. Luke. Jocelyn. Isabelle._

 _Isabelle._

 _Hell, even Jordan and Maia are lying every day for me. No reward or reason. They're just being kind._

"You okay?" Isabelle looked concerned, running a hand down Simon's cheek and onto his chest. "You were away with the fairies for a moment there."

"I'm sorry." Simon said.

"What the hell could you possibly be sorry for?" Isabelle chuckled with a bite of her lip. "For being an amazing source of support the last few months? For being kind and sweet and funny? For being incredibly skilled in the bedroom?"

"…I'm a bit of a monster, really." Simon whispered. "Cruel. Selfish. Poison."

Isabelle sat up, her face frowning with real concern and worry now. "Simon, you're none of those things. You're the best thing that's happened to Lightwood Garroway in a long time. The best thing that's happened to me, period. You make me feel whole in a way I haven't felt since Max died."

"I don't deserve to be the person who gets the honour of doing that for you." Simon said, reaching for his glasses on the bedside table and getting out of bed. Isabelle watched in confusion as Simon picked up his clothes from the bedroom floor and started getting dressed.

"What's going on, Simon? Where's all this coming from? Is something wrong?"

"I am. I'm wrong. For you. For the firm." Simon stated as he finished getting dressed.

"You're not making any sense."

Simon looked at her and she was shocked to see tears in his eyes. "You deserve so much more than me, Izzy. You have no idea."

"Don't be ridiculous. I thought…I thought we were fine…amazing, even. What did I do?"

"Nothing! You did nothing!" Simon exclaimed, wiping his eyes as he knelt onto the bed and cupped Isabelle's cheek in one hand. "You are _perfect_. Honestly, _so_ perfect. And I'd spoil you. I'd ruin and taint you. And I'm so, so sorry for putting you through this."

"You haven't put me through anything! I…I don't understand! What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?" Isabelle demanded, growing tearful.

"I shouldn't have…we shouldn't have done this. Me and you. I'm sorry I let it go this far. I'm selfish and horrible and I'm so sorry, Izzy. I'm just…I'm no good for you. You're perfect and I'm just no good. I'm not who you think I am. I wish I could be half the man you think I am." Simon choked. "I need to go now. I'm sorry. This can't happen anymore."

Isabelle stared at him in silence as tears rolled down her cheeks. "…Are you seriously doing this? The one good thing I had going for me…you're taking that way? I thought that we were…I…no, this is real. This thing between us. That's _real_. I know it is."

"…It is." Simon nodded sadly. "Every time I've looked at you and you've been the answer to my every question. Every time I've touched you and exploded with joy. Every second I've spent with you and become mesmerised by how insanely beautiful you are inside and out. It's real. But the rest of me isn't. The only good thing about me is the way I feel about you. You _are_ the only good thing about me. And that's why I can't have you."

"…You're actually ending this, aren't you?" Isabelle choked, breaking Simon's heart. He said nothing and just nodded. "…Then you're right. You _are_ cruel. You got enough of what you wanted so now it's time to cut your losses."

"No, that's not what it is at all." Simon said. "I just…I can't explain it. I wish I could. You're better off without me. I'm just…I'm sorry."

"Get out." Isabelle snapped. "Get. Out."

Simon tried to think of what to say, how he could fix this. Nothing presented itself. Isabelle had turned away from him and he so desperately wanted to take it all back. But he couldn't. He'd been selfish enough already. He had to do this. He was saving her.

Isabelle remained still as she heard him walk out and close the door. Only then did she allow herself to break down.

…

"It hit me like a truck. Things were getting so real and serious with Izzy and that made the seriousness of all of this properly real too. I thought I could chance it, but I just couldn't find it in me." Simon explained sadly as he sat before Jace at his desk.

"…I get it. But I won't say I'm not glad Isabelle's being kept away from all this." Jace admitted. "I am sorry, though."

"It's for the best." Simon nodded, desperately trying to convince himself he was right. "Am I crazy in hoping that we haven't lost any more clients yet today?"

"You would be crazy indeed. In all honesty, it'd been quite the amicable separation with some of the clients. It's nice that not every single one of them is suing us, like thinking there aren't any Skittles left in a packet but there's a red one tucked away in a corner like a dream." Jace revealed.

"Purple ones are my favourites." Simon shrugged.

There was a knock on the door as Luke strided into the room. "Robert and Maryse have called a meeting; they want you both there."

"When?" Jace asked.

"Now." Luke stated, gesturing the others to follow as he headed out.

…

"Thank you all for coming so urgently." Maryse stated as she addressed the cluster of people in the office. "If you're here you're of a great level of importance to us, be it your position in the firm or personal validation. We wanted to lay our cards on the table and make a few things clear, but what is said in this room is to be kept amongst yourselves."

Robert and Luke stood either side of Maryse in front of the crowd. Jace and Simon stood in the back corner as they observed who else had gotten the privilege of joining them for the meeting. Simon felt a sense of pride when he spotted Clary in the middle of a group of much taller co-workers, trying her best to listen. Maia was there too (apparently she and Luke had been working together a lot and he was growing quite attached), and on the far end of the room were Alec and Isabelle. Simon caught Isabelle's eye and was met with an icy glare before she looked away again. Alec had been watching Maryse from the second he'd entered the room, but she'd yet to even acknowledge his presence.

"Something's happened. Something else." Jace whispered to Simon as he noted the dried tears on Alec and Isabelle's faces.

"It's fair to say we haven't fallen this low as a firm in quite some time, if not ever. And I myself have to hold myself accountable for some of the problems. My drunken attack on the reporter didn't help our already trashed reputation. We've had investigations taking place over alleged mishandling of evidence of which we are innocent of any wrongdoing; Morgenstern Starkweather just enjoy having their fun. Other…things…have come to light over…work relations…" Robert began. Alec looked at the floor. "…and as a result of all of this we've had a significant amount of resignations and lawsuits from clients, many of whom have also cut ties with us. The only positive is that we're still financially afloat for now since the resignations have meant there are much less people to pay."

Robert forced a laugh out of himself, but the rest of the room stayed silent.

Maryse rolled her eyes. "This is a crisis, there's no getting away from that, and we'd like to thank all of you who are still on our side and fighting with and for us. With this in mind, and with all these secrets coming to light, we felt it necessary to share with you all we can. It's hard maintaining a firm at any time, but right now it's even harder and…it puts strain on us. All of us. This is one of the reasons that Robert and I have decided…"

She couldn't finish and looked to Robert as her eyes glistened with tears. Robert took a deep breath. "…Maryse and I will remain business partners along with Lucian, but…we will be separating on a personal level. In order for us to put more focus into our firm instead of our marriage. We hope you can appreciate our honesty as a way of keeping us together as a firm, and we won't make any official statements or actions until this has all blown over. Lightwood Garroway has enough on its plate already. For now, we just have to keep at it and start some damage control. We'll find a way out of this mess, I know we will. Thank you."

"Holy shit." Jace whispered as he stared in shock as the crowd parted and Maryse hurried out of the room. Simon looked back over to Alec and Isabelle, their expressions cold. Isabelle looked at Simon for a moment then ran out as her lip began to tremble. Clary rushed after her while Alec walked slowly over to Jace and Simon.

"Alec, I don't know what to say." Jace sighed.

"Dad told us this morning; hardly the most surprising thing that's ever come out of his mouth. It hit me hard at first but I'm not too surprised, it's Izzy who's more shaken up." Alec explained. "Just when she'd started to seem really happy again…she seemed to have a new guy on the go but she said differently this morning so who knows what happened there. You'd think we'd all be used to the shit by now, huh?"

"You'd think, yeah." Jace said, noting Simon lowering his head.

"I know I shouldn't ask much of you since I know I haven't exactly been that kind to you, Simon, but if Clary doesn't get through to Izzy would you mind having a word with her? There's something about you; she likes and listens to you." Alec asked.

Simon looked up at him and faked a smile. "Sure."

"Thanks. I, uh…I'm gonna pop out quickly. There's someone I need to see." Alec said, nodding and walking out with a brief look at Robert.

"Maybe one day the big guy in the sky will give us all a break." Jace groaned.

"Maybe." Simon whispered and went to walk out.

Jace grabbed his arm to stop him. "Look, most of this would've happened regardless of you being here. Valentine and Hodge would still have pulled all that crap to bring us down. Jocelyn getting fired wasn't on you and neither is as much of it as you're blaming yourself for."

"It's because of me that we couldn't just expose Dorothea and get Jocelyn her job back, remember? I just…I'm trying to find a reason to stay." Simon sighed.

"If you leave now people will get all the more suspicious, we've been over this. You're one of the biggest players the firm has left. That's why you can't leave." Jace stated.

"…I'm gonna go find Clary. See if Izzy's okay." Simon announced solemnly before walking out.

Jace watched him go sadly before walking up to Luke. "I've been to better meetings."

"We all have." Luke said.

"Robert and Maryse told you they were breaking up this morning too?" Jace asked and Luke nodded. "I used to think they were unbreakable. I used to think this whole firm was unbreakable."

"Morgenstern Starkweather are too smart for their own good; I can only hope it'll be their downfall one day." Luke said.

"I'd like that day to be today or tomorrow if possible." Jace said.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Luke agreed with a small smirk. "Simon didn't look too happy just now."

"That's because he's not. And I know, I know, he's not gonna be around here forever but you have to agree that he can't leave in the midst of all this mess?" Jace asked.

"Of course not. Every single move we make is being reported on and critiqued. As much as I'd like him gone, now's not the time. Can't believe I'm living in a world where the least of my worries is having an employee without a law degree practicing law." Luke sighed.

"Maybe you could speak to him? Reassure him he can't just cut and run yet. I'm scared he'll just up and leave without a trace." Jace admitted.

"Simon is your mess, not mine. I've got the rest of the firm to hold together with my two other partners who have just broken up, not just one man." Luke said. "I understand it's difficult, believe me, but the things I've seen you talk your way out of in the past? Making Simon Lewis smile again should be a piece of cake for Jace Wayland."

…

Simon was relieved to see Clary at her cubicle and hurried over to her. "Clary, hey."

Clary looked up at Simon, stood up, and slapped him across the face. "What's wrong with you? You dumped Isabelle?"

"Dumped? We never had the boyfriend and girlfriend talk?" Simon questioned, panicking when Clary raised her hand again. "Okay, yeah, yes…I ended things."

"But you're totally into her and she's totally into you! It doesn't make sense!"

"Just trust that I have my reasons, okay? Believe me, there's nothing I want more than to be with her. But I can't because I don't deserve it and she deserves more. Do you think I can still salvage some kind of friendship with her at least?" Simon asked.

Clary took a moment. "You'll have to give her some space, but…maybe. I just…I just wanted _something_ to go right, you know? You guys would be amazing together."

Simon smiled sadly. "We were."

…

Alec knocked on the door and waited for an answer, but one didn't come. He knocked again. "Magnus?"

Silence.

"…I know we said to give each other space and I shouldn't be here, but…I just, I don't know…I wanted to feel close to somebody again, I guess. Hell, you might not actually be in there. If you are, though…probably best to not open the door, huh?" Alec laughed at himself as he leaned his head against the door.

"Even your door smells heavenly; did you gloss it with rose petals or something?" Alec smiled slightly. "That'd be something you'd do."

Silence.

"Mom and dad broke up." Alec said eventually. "Not too surprising; I've been expecting it for so long I always thought that maybe it wouldn't actually happen. Maybe it was all in my head? Guess not. It's okay, though. They love each other, just not how a married couple should. They were in love once, though. Izzy's pretty shaken up but we'll all get through it. Everything is falling to shit so adding yet another thing to the pile doesn't really matter."

Alec laughed suddenly as he slid down against the door and onto the floor. "God, I sound so _miserable_ , don't I? I just listened to myself for the first time in a while. Grumpy bastard. What the hell did you ever see in me? Maybe I shouldn't open that can of worms. I, uh…I guess I just wanted to tell you I'm doing okay. And I miss you. And I hope you're okay too. Should I leave a note in case you aren't there? No, that's a bit far."

Alec stood up and brushed himself off, facing the door again and resting his head on it. "Oh, and um…we're all in a dark patch right now, with everything that's going on. But no matter how things end with everything and…and with us…I just wanted to thank you. Without you the darkness would have consumed me a long time ago. I, uh…I thought of that on the way here so I wanted to make sure I said it. And if you're not there then…your door and I had a really good chat. Okay. Keep on being you. Bye, Magnus."

Alec nodded to himself, turned and walked away towards the stairwell.

From the other side of the door, Magnus sat on the floor in silence with a sad smile on his face as if Alec's voice had jumpstarted his broken heart.

…

Jace knocked on the door of Isabelle's office and tentatively walked in as Isabelle looked up from her desk. "Hey. Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Fine." Isabelle said. "I'm trying to just not think about it. But I'm glad you're here; I wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Okay then." Jace said and took a seat in front of her desk. "What is it?"

"I want to know what Simon's keeping from me. If anyone else is gonna know, it's you." Isabelle snapped.

Jace ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I should be getting involved in your relationship."

"We don't have a relationship anymore, apparently. He changed his tune faster than The Flash." Isabelle said.

"The Flash?" Jace questioned.

"Yeah, Barry Allen. Superhero. Got struck by lightning and can run really fast." Isabelle explained.

"I never thought I'd ever hear you talk about superheroes."

"Simon likes comic book stuff so I…I did some research to try and impress him. I even watched a few episodes of the Flash TV show and the worst part is I really enjoyed it." Isabelle groaned.

Jace stared at her in silence for a moment.

"What?" She demanded.

"Sorry, I just…you're really into him, huh?" Jace asked sadly.

Isabelle looked at the floor. "Yeah. Not that it matters. But he's keeping something from me and I bet my shoe collection you know something too. Why would he end things so suddenly?"

"…I don't know."

"You're a better liar than that; you could at least try to feign ignorance."

"Jace…secrets have torn my family apart. And our business. No more. Please."

"Isabelle, look…none of us are in a particularly good place right now. Simon's not at his best and all I can say is that he's only holding back because he's just as into you as you're into him. For now, I'm sorry, but that has to be enough. Besides, it might not matter soon anyway." Jace sighed.

"How so?"

"I think he's gonna leave the firm soon. Hell, maybe even leave New York. I'm trying to get him to stay but…I don't know what to do or what to say." Jace admitted sadly.

Isabelle was quiet for a while. "I'm not exactly his biggest fan right now, but I don't want him to go. He's damn good at his job, and the firm needs him to survive the next few weeks and months."

"Then what do I do?" Jace pleaded.

"I've seen through a lot of your bullshit over the years, and while I may have not always been on your side I've always found a way of understanding you. Your eyes say a lot more than you think. What I was saying about secrets and holding things back? Maybe Simon just needs to hear something honest. Hell, maybe then he could be honest with me." Isabelle said.

…

"I got your text. What did you want to talk to me about?" Simon asked as he entered Jace's office.

Jace leant against the glass wall of the office. "Isabelle asked me what you're keeping from her."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing really, but enough to keep her at bay. It was what she told me that made me call you in here." Jace revealed.

"I'm a bit confused now." Simon said.

"I know you think leaving would be for the best right now. And I know I've said I don't want you to go because it could devastate the firm even further. Which, granted, is true. But it's not really why I don't want you to go." Jace admitted.

"Then why?" Simon asked.

Jace looked Simon in the eyes and sighed. "I like you being here. Because you're my friend."

Simon remained silent.

"I, uh…I got where I am as quickly as I did because I'm great at what I do. I'm great at what I do because I didn't have many other people in my life. Not by choice. Work was all I had because no one really gave me the time of day growing up. I was the golden haired pretty boy with no substance so no one bothered to actually talk to me. I eventually had the Lightwoods and Luke and Jocelyn…but that stayed as a professional relationship for a long time before they let me in to their little 'gang'. You were the first person I've ever met to see me as more than just a colleague or a plaything from the get go. I could not tell you how much that meant to me; how much that will always mean to me. That's why I'll always stand by you whatever happens. I may pretend to be cool about it but I owe you more than I ever let on. I have always been your friend and from the moment I realised that you've been mine. And I don't want to lose my friend. So…please don't go."

Simon said nothing as he walked up to Jace and hugged him.

"For a moment there I was kinda terrified you were gonna declare your undying love for me." Simon smirked.

"You should be so lucky." Jace chuckled.

"Thank you." Simon nodded as they broke apart. "Really."

"…Just don't expect me to ever show that much human emotion ever again. And if you tell anyone what I just said or try and tease me with it I'll throw you off the roof. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. We've got a lot to sort out, Potter. And I'll need your help to do it. We all do." Jace stated.

Simon smiled. "I'll be here."

"Good to hear. And I know just what I want to sort out first." Jace declared.

"And what would that be?" Simon asked. Jace smiled.

"We're gonna get Jocelyn back."

…

Robert stumbled out of the pub just before midnight, not really wandering towards anything in particular. All that was waiting for him at home was judgement from Maryse, not that it mattered quite so much anymore that she was angry with him.

Every step he took made him think of yet another thing he had to worry about or be angry over. The firm. Isabelle. Alec. Max. His marriage. Valentine. Hodge. Lawsuits. It all clouded up his head more than any amount of alcohol ever could. That's what he told himself, at least. He couldn't remember the last time his head had been clear. One day he'd have to just learnt to find his way through the darkness.

He stumbled into the street and didn't hear the car before it was too late.


	23. All I Would Ever Want To Be

"You're here early." Luke observed from his desk as Maryse walked in the room.

She glanced at the clock on the wall as she unpacked her bag at her desk. Just before 6am. "I could say the same to you."

"Unfortunately, I don't have many better things to do than work." Luke said. "And you?"

"Giving Robert his space." Maryse said.

Luke nodded with a frown. "How's he doing?"

"He's lucky the driver of that car spotted him when he did. A broken ankle is the least of his worries. Doesn't really help us when one of the name partners is off for a few weeks, though." Maryse explained.

"…I suppose it's safe to assume he wasn't sober when the accident happened."

"He's never sober anymore."

"Well, he can't get to any alcohol with a broken ankle, at least." Luke shrugged.

"That's true." Maryse smiled for the first time in what felt like a while. "Finally, some good news."

Luke smirked. "Is it safe to leave him on his own?"

"We employed a carer to tend him during the day. Isabelle's with him now until she has to come to work."

"Has Alec been to see him at all?" Luke asked.

"Only when I haven't been there." Maryse stated.

"Can you blame him?" Luke wondered. Maryse shot him a look. "I haven't exactly been subtle about my disapproval of how you've been handling this whole thing."

Maryse sighed. "…I had this whole future planned out. The future of the Lightwoods. Little Alec and Isabelle's running around my feet, calling me grandma and asking for just one more treat. I started treating my daydreams as if they were a future set in stone. Then that day at court shattered it."

"Alec can still have children, Maryse."

"…I know. It's just…I feel like I'm…I'm grieving for the son I thought I had. And I know that makes me sound like an awful person and a horrible mother. And I almost certainly am. Things with Isabelle aren't even the same anymore."

"I'm gonna be straight because that's how you and I talk. It seems to be that the common denominator in your relationships with your children breaking down is you. If this firm is gonna survive and rebuild everyone at its core needs to be on the same side. You need to work out if that's actually possible for you, Alec and Isabelle…and if not, be prepared to make some very tough calls." Luke stated.

Jace burst into the room. "Morning. How's Rob?"

"Alive." Maryse said.

"Well that's…something." Jace shrugged.

"Why are you here so early?" Luke asked.

"Big day today. Hopefully. I need either one of you to do me a favour, and it can only be one of you two." Jace revealed.

"Why?" Maryse asked.

"Because Valentine will only agree to a meeting if he thinks it's with one of you."

…

Alec noted the knock on his apartment door as he finished putting on his tie.

"It's open." He declared. Isabelle had mentioned possibly popping over on her way to work after the carer for Robert had turned up.

He heard the door open and close as he reached for his jacket and slung it over his shoulder, walking out of the bedroom and into the living area. He stopped dead.

"Alexander." Magnus said timidly. "Hi."

"Magnus." Alec whispered. "Uh…what are you doing here?"

"You came to my door last week. I'm sorry about your parents." Magnus revealed.

"Oh, yeah…it's okay."

"And I heard Robert was in a car accident?"

"Yeah, but he'll be fine." Alec nodded. "I…I didn't know if you were there or not when I went to your place. I thought I was just monolouging to a door."

Magnus' lip curled. "I was there. I was listening. I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

"It was probably best that you didn't. We'd agreed to keep our distance, after all." Alec nodded sadly.

"We did." Magnus said. "Which is why I've finally worked up the courage to come here now."

"Oh." Alec sighed. "I see. Okay. I understand."

"No, Alexander, I'm not…I don't want to…" Magnus stuttered and laughed quietly. "Alexander Gideon Lightwood, you've turned me into a shamble of my former self. And I love you all the more for it. It turns out I am exceptionally bad at being apart from you."

"Did you monologue to my front door too?" Alec asked.

Magnus smiled. "No, I did not."

"Then I think the moral high ground is still yours." Alec blushed.

"I've thought about you every minute since the second we parted." Magnus' eyes glittered with the threat of tears. "When Morgenstern Starkweather dropped me like a piece of dirt I've been thinking about who I am, and what I want to be. I've had all these wonderful fantasies about what I could do and where I could do it, and no matter what I always came to the same conclusion."

"Which is?" Alec asked, his heart racing.

"All I would ever want to be…is yours. Proudly so." Magnus choked. "If you'll have me. Not that it would be easy, what with the whole Lightwood Garroway scandal and your mother…"

"You and me…it cost you a life you spent years building…and you still want to be with me?"

"Yes. A thousand times yes." Magnus shed a tear.

Alec beamed as he strode across the room, took Magnus into his arms and pressed their lips together passionately, parting only when he needed air. "You take my breath away. Magnus, I…I love you."

Magnus' very being seemed to light up. "I love you too."

"I honestly don't know how you could." Alec grinned. "But I'm glad you do."

"I'd list the reasons but we'd be here all day." Magnus said. "But…but what about Maryse?"

Alec took a moment. "I've spent most of my life pretending to be the person she wanted me to be, and it turns out she was hiding so much from me too. Not anymore. If she can't accept this…us…then it's her problem. I'll quite Lightwood Garroway if I have to."

"Alexander, I would never ask you to do that." Magnus said.

"And you would never have to ask." Alec smiled, moving a strand of Magnus' hair out of his eye. "I don't want to be part of Lightwood Garroway if it came between us. Because all I ever want to be, Magnus Bane, is yours. Proudly so."

"Oh, that was good." Magnus laughed as he drew Alec in for another kiss.

…

"I'm about to go in now. I managed to bullshit my way through the fact that the meeting was booked under Luke's name yet I'm the one here somehow and got past security." Jace said as he spoke to Simon on the phone, sat outside the office at the top of an obnoxiously stylised skyscraper, the door labelled 'VALENTINE MORGENSTERN'.

"Good luck. Is there anything you need me to do in the meantime?" Simon asked.

"Don't think so. Just brace yourself to help me get whatever crap Valentine will want to make this deal go through." Jace ordered.

"Sure thing. And still not a thing to anyone else yet?"

"Not until the deal is done; don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Luke and Maryse are the only ones who know I'm here." Jace stated.

" _I_ know you're there."

"Well, yeah, except for you. I thought that was kinda obvious though."

"I like to feel included."

"Whatever, Boy Who Lived. I'll call you soon." Jace said.

"You got it. Break a leg. Do people still say that even if it's not a show or anything?" Simon wondered.

"I am not the person to ask." Jace sighed.

"Should I Google it?"

"Well, yeah, if you want to."

"I'm gonna Google it. I'll let you know what I find out later."

"Oh boy, I can hardly contain my excitement."

"A little positive reinforcement every now and again wouldn't go amiss, you know." Simon stated.

"You're right; you're not the worst person I've ever worked with. Better?"

Simon hanged up. Jace smiled as he put his phone in his pocket. It wasn't long until he was called into the office. He took a deep breath, pushed his shoulders out and stepped inside.

Valentine was sat at his desk, his eyes widening with surprise. "Jace? I was expecting to see Lucian."

"You'd have never agreed to a meeting with me otherwise." Jace smiled.

"How did you get through security?"

"Brilliantly."

Valentine, to Jace's surprise, smiled. "Well, since you've made the effort…what do you want?"

"I want you to revoke all your fake accusations against Jocelyn and allow her to rejoin Lightwood Garroway. You and all your sneaky little friends set her up and you're gonna undo it all. Drop the charges against her." Jace demanded.

"I see. And why would I do that?" Valentine asked.

"…Let's not play games. Lightwood Garroway is in the gutter; it's gonna be there for some time. Your firm will grow significantly before we're ready to fight back. Having Jocelyn back will hardly make a difference now things have changed so much since she left. You've made much bigger dents in our reputation that since then."

"I have."

"This is a personal want, not a professional one. Jocelyn means a lot to me; she meant a lot to you too once." Jace said.

"We were very close friends, yes."

"Then you betrayed her. And Luke, Robert and Maryse too." Jace said.

Valentine smiled again. "You seem to be under the impression that I didn't have any sort of motivation for turning my back on them. Everyone had a motivation for everything and you are naïve if you believe otherwise. Your superiors are not as innocent as they have led you to believe, Jace. And I'm not sure you've made enough of a case as to why I should do this for you."

"How about the satisfaction that while something good happened for us, it only did so because of you, and you alone had power over it?" Jace offered.

"Oh, now that is quite something. I like that." Valentine smiled. "But words and wisdom aren't gonna come close to cutting it. But you know that."

"I do. Name your price."

"Come and work for us."

"Anything but that."

Valentine smirked. "I've always admired your resilience."

"I'm sure." Jace said.

"And you know what else I've always admired? The painting you have on the wall in your office. The one of the falcon?"

Jace's face dropped. "No."

"That's my price."

"You know what that means to me."

"I do. And that's why I want it."

"You can have any other knickknack from my office, just not that." Jace pleaded.

"The painting, or no deal." Valentine stated firmly, looking Jace dead in the eyes.

Jace wanted to explode with rage, but knew he couldn't. He felt tears sting the back of his eyes. "…Fine."

"Excellent. I'll arrange to have a few people collect it. Whenever it works for you, of course." Valentine smiled in his victory. Jace had forgotten over the years just how well Valentine knew him.

"Midday tomorrow." Jace said, turning to leave.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Jace. And may I offer some advice?" Valentine asked, standing up from his desk. "What I was saying before about motivations? That was the most important lesson I've ever learned in this business. If you can work out everyone's motivations for everything they do, no matter how small, exploring every option and learning the correct ones…the sky's the limit with the games you can play with them. Work out what you're doing all of this for, and maybe this little game of ours will finally start getting more interesting."

Jace said nothing, not so much as turning back as he walked out.

He'd gotten what he wanted, but he'd underestimated the cost.

…

Alec walked into his office and stopped at the sight of Maryse leant against his desk, standing up straight at the sight.

"So is this where Izzy picked up the habit?" Alec asked.

"I don't know about that." Maryse shrugged. "…I needed to see you."

"Dad's fine." Alec stated, closing the door.

"No, this isn't about Robert."

Silence.

"…I guess I need to talk to you, too." Alec said eventually. "Magnus and I -"

"-I don't need the details." Maryse said.

"Of course you don't. Silly me." Alec spat.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I meant…there's only one thing I want to know right now." Maryse revealed.

Alec met her eyes for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Which is?"

"Do you love him?" Maryse asked.

Alec retained eye contact. "Yes. I do."

Maryse was silent for a moment. "…Good."

"…Good?" Alec questioned.

Maryse walked up to Alec and tentatively took his hands in hers. "…I've been mourning a dream for far too long. The Lightwoods have lost so much and so many…maybe in Magnus we've found a new member of the family. To gain some loved ones back…that's a dream I won't have to grieve for."

"…Mom…"

"Alec, these are testing and uncertain times. But I do know a few things. I know that you are my first child, my first son. The only son I have left. I know that you will always be my son. And I know that I will love you until the day I die and then I'll love you still. To be a Lightwood is to be strong, and no one has been stronger than you have over the last few weeks and months. You're more of a Lightwood than I could ever hope to be." Maryse said tearfully. "If Magnus makes you happy, then I'm happy too. Your father and I…it made me lose faith in love, but maybe I can find some faith in you loving him. And if Magnus loves you in return…why should I act against him? To love you makes him the smartest man in the world."

Alec's cheeks were wet with tears, as were Maryse's. She squeezed her son's hands tighter. "I have been a terrible mother to you. To treat you as I have after that trial is unforgivable. And yet I'm begging you to have the strength to forgive me anyway; if you can find it in your heart to. I will understand if you can't."

She placed a hand on her son's cheek. "Alec, if this is you, the _real_ you, then let him shine. Because I feel as if I've seen you for the first time all over again, just like when I first held you in my arms. And you are as beautiful to me now as you were then, if not more so. You are so strong and so brave and I could not be more proud. I'm so sorry. Can…c-can you ever f-forgive me?"

Maryse broke down as Alec pulled her into his arms, crying with her.

"I can't tell you how long I've wanted to hear you say that." Alec cried. "I forgive you. I love you, mom."

"My boy…oh, my boy, I love you too. More than you know."

From the other side of the door, Isabelle watched her brother hold their mother in his arms with the happiest tears she'd ever shed rolling down her cheeks.

…

The next day, Jace and Simon watched in silence as two men unscrewed the falcon painting from the wall of Jace's office and carried it out. Jace stared at it for as long as it was visible to him, even watching from the window as it was placed into a van and driven away.

"Valentine emailed me this morning. He said thank you for saving him from going out and buying more firewood for a few weeks. Son of a bitch." Jace cursed.

"Undoing everything he did to Jocelyn for a painting?" Simon questioned.

"It wasn't about the painting; it was about what the painting meant to me. And the reminder that he still has so much power over us." Jace revealed.

"I didn't realise it was so important to you. I thought it was just there to fill a space." Simon admitted.

"My mom painted it." Jace revealed.

"…Your mom?"

"Yeah. Didn't really know much about her; still don't. But she painted a lot, apparently. That was the last painting she did before she…doesn't matter. It was the only thing of hers I had."

"…I'm sorry."

"…Whatever. It's fine. It's just a painting, right?"

"Right." Simon nodded, trying to pretend he couldn't see the pain in Jace's face. Jace had said it himself; the painting wasn't important, it was the memories behind it. He decided not to press the conversation any further. "Still, you did it. Jocelyn's coming back. Her face when we went and told her last night was brilliant."

"Made it all worth it." Jace nodded. "Plus, it made plenty of people happy, I guess."

"How did Valentine sell it to the officials?"

"New evidence coming to light, online hackers and trolls…all that jazz. They eat up everything the almighty Valentine Morgenstern tells them these days." Jace explained. "I know it won't make much of a difference to our reputation and doesn't solve many problems…but Jocelyn Fray is home. That means something."

"So, it's a win?" Simon asked.

"Yeah, it's a win." Jace smiled. "Finally."

…

Jace had barely been home ten minutes when the doorbell rang. He'd only managed to take off his shoes, jacket and tie, fix himself a drink and catch up with the local news. He was overjoyed to be getting Jocelyn back but at the same time he saw the painting every time he closed his eyes. Even winning meant losing something. Was there even a point to doing it at all?

He opened the door and was shocked to see Clary stood there. "Clary, hey."

"Hey. Simon gave me your address, I just…can I come in?" Clary asked.

"Sure, yeah." Jace nodded, closing the door as Clary tentatively walked inside. "Everything okay?"

"More okay than it's been in a while, yeah." Clary smiled. "And it's all thanks to you. I just wanted to thank you in person for what you've done for mom."

Jace nodded silently, running a hand through his hair and looking down at the floor.

"…What is it?" Clary asked.

"Valentine said something to me when I organised the deal with him." Jace said.

"Don't let him get inside your head, Jace."

"No, it's just…it was actually the best advice I've been given."

"…Really?"

"He told me to work out what I'm doing all of this for. What my motivation is for everything I do. Even the tiniest things. I've worked it out. What I'm doing this all for." Jace revealed.

"What made you work it out?" Clary asked.

Jace stepped closer to Clary, his eyes bright and open as he looked at her. "I was just wondering to myself what the point was of doing all of this, and then I opened the door and saw you."

Clary felt the breath leave her body. "…Me?"

"Clary, I…I've wanted Jocelyn back at the firm since she left. I got her back for myself, for the firm, for her…but when Simon and I told you both that she could come back, I looked at you. To see your face light up. Not Jocelyn's. That came after. I wanted to see you happy, and I wanted to see you happy knowing I was the one who made you happy. And now I'm realising that it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and making you happy is the best thing I've ever achieved at this bloody firm." Jace said passionately.

"Jace…"

"I've been an ass to you too, I know, but we had something amazing not so long ago and…it's what keeps me going. Keeps me fighting. That's what you are to me." Jace finished.

"The Jace Wayland I've gotten to know keeps me fighting too." Clary smiled. Jace smiled back. "But you're wrong about one thing."

"Unlikely." Jace smirked.

"Shut up." Clary chuckled.

"What then?"

Clary walked closer to Jace, leaving them inches apart. She tentatively took one of his hands and looked up at him. "…You said we _had_ something amazing. You're wrong. We _have_ something amazing."

Jace's eyes filled with hope. "I have you?"

Clary grinned. "You have me. And I have you."

"Do I get a vote in that last bit?"

"Absolutely not."

"Thank god."

Jace cupped Clary's face gently as he kissed her, pulling her close as the kiss deepened and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her up and backed up against the wall as he kissed a line down her neck. He moaned as her fingers ran through his hair and down onto his chest, where she grabbed his shirt and tore it open, sending buttons flying onto the floor. He let his shirt fall to the floor, unzipping the back of her dress as she caressed his chest with her fingertips and kicked off her shoes.

"Nice apartment, by the way." Clary whispered into his neck as she kissed it.

"You should see the bedroom." Jace whispered back, rolling her dress down her body until it fell to the floor.

"Sounds good to me." Clary smiled into another kiss as she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his trousers. They fell to the floor as Jace scooped Clary up and carried her across the apartment and down a short corridor, kicking open the bedroom door.

"This might get loud." Jace teased seductively.

Clary nibbled on Jace's ear. "I'm counting on it."

She kicked the bedroom door closed, stepped back and fell onto the bed. He smiled as he crawled on top of her, kissing every area of skin her body offered him. She moaned with pleasure and reached for the switch above the bed, turning off the light.


	24. A Footprint I Left A Life Ago

"You know, we really do need to get out of bed soon." Clary smiled into Jace's bare chest the next morning. "We've just been lying here for half an hour."

"Maybe we should call in sick. Or call in dead." Jace grinned, his hand gently stroking Clary's back.

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't think they can afford you not being there right now." Clary said.

"They can't afford you not being there either." Jace said. "I know Jocelyn's back next week but there shouldn't even be one single day without a Fray in that building."

"I still can't believe mom's coming back. How did you even get Valentine to undo all that damage?"

"A lot of kissing his ass, mostly. Plus, everything Valentine Morgenstern has done since then…getting Jocelyn back barely changes anything. But it's still awesome to have her back where she belongs."

"Obviously, I agree." Clary beamed, leaning over and kissing Jace.

Their lips parted and he moved her hair out of her eyes with a smile. "Last night was incredible."

"It certainly was." Clary agreed. "And I look forward to repeating it after we go to work."

"Or, alternatively…we could repeat it now? Several times?" Jace grinned cheekily.

"Is that how you win so many cases? Flashing a cheeky smile?" Clary smirked.

"It's gotten me surprisingly far in life." Jace chuckled. "I guess I haven't won this one, though."

"You have not, no. Get up." Clary ordered happily, kissing Jace's collarbone as she got out of bed and reached for her clothes. "And we also need to set some ground rules. I'm happy for select people to know we're…you know…a _thing_ …but not everyone yet. Especially not mom. I'm not sure how she'll feel about us. We'll ease her into it."

"I'm sorry, I stopped listening the second you dropped the duvet." Jace admitted.

"Screw you." Clary laughed.

"But you said you couldn't until after work?" Jace smirked.

"I'm seriously starting to hate you." Clary giggled. "Don't make me drag you out of that bed, Jace Wayland."

"But I think I'd find it most amusing." Jace said. "You're just such a tiny little thing."

"I'm counting to five and then you're getting slapped."

"Ooh, where?"

…

"Who'd have thought it…good publicity!" Luke smiled as he walked into his office the following week, handing a newspaper to Maryse. "Little report on Jocelyn being found innocent of previous crimes and returning to the firm today."

"I'll take all the little victories we can get." Maryse smiled. "You know Jace gave up his mother's painting to make this happen."

"Yeah, I know." Luke nodded solemnly. He appreciated Jace's efforts in getting Jocelyn back, of course he did, but that didn't mean he could just let go what he and Simon had been doing for months now; the sooner Simon went the better, and getting Jocelyn back was a step closer to having that weight off his shoulders. "…What time is Robert getting here?"

"He's being dropped off in half an hour or so. I did say he could be in the meeting through a video link but he was adamant he wanted to be here in person. At least with the carer around he hasn't been able to drink the world away." Maryse explained, gripping the edge of her desk tightly with her hand.

Luke smiled. "You're gripping the desk again."

"I'm aware, Lucian."

"It's okay to be nervous about this. You're doing the right thing."

"I can't decide if bringing him into the firm is a good thing or not, not after everything. I don't want this to just be about pleasing Alec; we have to think of this place too. I mean after everything… letting a man accused of conspiring with us into the firm makes us look guiltier than we already do." Maryse sighed.

"We know we're innocent; that's what matters here. It's risky, for sure, but Magnus can talk his way out of a lot of things and is damn good at what he does. We could string this to make it sound like we're sticking together as a unit and becoming stronger. Just give him a chance. We're desperate for staff after all, and we don't have to shout it from the rooftops if we employ him." Luke said.

"Alec was so excited about the idea when he suggested it to us." Maryse said nervously. "What if we decide it won't work? What if Alec starts hating us all over again?"

"Alec is a smart guy; I think he's starting to realise nothing you and Robert have ever done in the firm was personal. You're finally on good terms again; he wants to maintain that just as much as you do. Have faith." Luke smiled.

…

"Well isn't that a sight for sore eyes." Jace smiled as he walked towards the desk outside his office, where Jocelyn was sat with a grin on her face.

"It's good to be back." Jocelyn said.

"It's even better to have you. The last guy replacing you was a nightmare." Jace sighed.

"Well, back to business. Clary's waiting for you in your office." Jocelyn revealed.

"…C-Clary?" Jace's eyes widened.

"Uh huh. What's it about?" Jocelyn asked.

"No idea. Not in the slightest." Jace said quickly as he turned and rushed into his office, closing the door behind him. Clary was sat on a chair in front of his desk.

"I'm sorry! I came up to see you and I didn't think about mom! I said I had an appointment but your last crappy receptionist probably didn't note it down." Clary explained.

"Okay, it's fine. We just need to come up with a really believable reason for you booking a private appointment with me that doesn't make it obvious that it would normally be for lots of making out. Any ideas?" Jace asked.

"I've gone blank." Clary sighed.

"Me too. Crap."

"Dammit! I'm sorry for being so stupid. I didn't even think; I just wanted to see you." Clary said.

"Hey, you're far from stupid." Jace said, walking up to Clary and reaching for her hand before quickly moving his hand back. "Jocelyn might've spotted me holding your hand and got suspicious. Sorry. Best not. That woman sees basically everything."

"Don't I know it." Clary sighed.

Suddenly, their eyes lit up as they looked at each other and spoke in unison. "Simon."

Jace dialled a number on his phone, set it to speaker and placed it on his desk.

"Hey, what's up?" Simon's voice filled the room from the other end of the phone.

"We need your help." Jace said as he sat at his desk.

"We?"

"Me and Clary." Jace said.

"Hi!" Clary added.

"Oh, hey Clary! Did you get that coat in the end?" Simon asked.

"Oh, yeah! I'll show it to you later!" Clary smiled.

"Awesome, I can't wait to see it! Have you seen it, Jace?" Simon wondered.

"We actually have a more pressing matter, Potter. We need a good reason for us being in a meeting together so Jocelyn doesn't get suspicious." Jace explained.

"Well I'm your associate; we have meetings all the time."

"Again, me and CLARY, Simon."

"Oh, that makes more sense." Simon said.

"Any ideas?" Clary asked.

"Uh, let's see…you could just tell her you two are a thing?" Simon suggested.

"No, not yet." Clary said. "That's something you need to keep to yourself. We told you in confidence."

"Sure thing. I won't tell anyone else." Simon said.

"Anyone _else_?!" Jace questioned.

"Well, I _may_ have told Jordan but as far as I'm aware he and Jocelyn don't tend to meet up for coffee and a catch up so don't worry." Simon revealed.

Clary sighed as she looked back at Jocelyn sat at her desk. Her face dropped as she watched her mother talk to someone on the phone, fear all over her face. It was a look of fear she saved for only one person. Someone Clary had wished they wouldn't have to worry about ever again.

"Mom?" Clary shouted out, rushing out of Jace's office and up to Jocelyn's desk. Jace hung up on Simon (who would later express his annoyance about it) and joined her. Jocelyn put down the phone and looked up at Clary and Jace, her face white as a sheet.

"What's wrong?" Jace asked.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Clary asked sadly. Jocelyn nodded, shaken. "How did he find us again?"

"Who?" Jace wondered, completely lost.

"…Sebastian." Jocelyn practically whispered.

"And who's Sebastian?" Jace asked.

"…My son." Jocelyn revealed. "My first born."

"…Wait, you…what?" Jace questioned as Clary looked down at the floor, his list of problems getting longer by the minute.

…

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Alexander?" Magnus asked as he and Alec walked together towards Luke and the Lightwoods' office. "Lightwood Garroway's reputation is hardly excellent even without having me as an employee."

"The world suffers every second you're not working in law. Having you on board is exactly the kind of motivational energy we need to adapt and survive everything being thrown at us. I know being an associate would be a slight demotion from Morgenstern Starkweather but it was the best offer I could get up for negotiation." Alec explained.

"It _would_ be good to be up and working again. And there's nothing wrong with being an associate; every single job at a firm is an essential cog in the machine. Plus, if I get a job here I heard there's a very handsome fellow associate I'd like to sink my teeth into." Magnus smirked and Alec blushed.

"Would that be literal?" Alec grinned.

"If he wanted." Magnus purred.

They reached the office door. Magnus paused for a moment.

"You're gonna be fine." Alec said reassuringly.

"I just…I don't want you to get your hopes up. There may be something in the contracts I don't like or one of them doesn't like and…I don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't work out. And I definitely don't want you taking it out on your parents if it doesn't, either." Magnus said.

"That does sound like my M.O." Alec chuckled. "I promise, it'll all be fine. If this isn't meant to be, we can find something else for you to do."

"…Okay." Magnus smiled. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck. I'll be right outside when you're done." Alec said. "I…I love you."

Magnus smiled. "I love you too."

Magnus pulled Alec close and kissed him passionately before heading inside. Alec let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding in and leant against the wall in solemn silence.

…

Jocelyn, Jace and Clary all sat in the staffroom for a while in complete silence, digesting the revelations of the day.

"…I'm sorry I never told you about him." Jocelyn said to Jace eventually.

Jace shook his head. "It's okay. It hasn't been that long since I found out about Clary; I never expected you to spill the beans on your demon son you don't talk to."

"Jace…" Clary sighed.

"Sorry. It's just…he doesn't sound like a particularly nice person." Jace said.

"He was such a sweet little boy, but he changed like the flick of a switch." Jocelyn said.

"Why?" Jace asked.

"Not why, but who. Valentine." Jocelyn sighed. "He practically helped me raise him. I didn't realise how much he was manipulating Sebastian until the damage was done. He took an innocent child and forced him to grow up too soon, and it turned him against the world. That was when we all realised what Valentine truly was and started to cut ties. I thought he was just being a good friend, a father figure for my son. All Valentine saw was a project; a possible prodigy."

"And you think Valentine gave him your number and details somehow?" Jace asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me if they had kept in touch. Valentine wouldn't even think twice about using Sebastian to hurt me when the chance arose." Jocelyn said.

"He couldn't just let mom coming back to the firm be a small moment of happiness." Clary said.

"Just another reason he probably allowed me to bring you back." Jace cursed. "He saw an opportunity to get yet another one over on us."

"He said he's back in town." Jocelyn said. "What if…what if he tries to visit my apartment?"

"If he does, we'll be ready for him. I'll teach the creep a thing or two." Jace stated.

"Maybe you could stay with Luke for a few days until this blows over? Whenever Sebastian has tried to get in contact before he always loses interest if we ignore him." Clary suggested.

"You've seen him, then? In person?" Jace asked.

"Only to tell him to leave us alone. He's never been a brother to me so I'm not interested in being a sister to him." Clary revealed.

"All those times he's tried…it's always been Valentine behind it, hasn't it? Always convincing him to try again and again?" Jocelyn speculated.

"It's a safe bet." Jace nodded.

The door opened and Isabelle glided in, stopping dead as the others all faced her with stern expressions. "I've interrupted something, haven't I?"

"It's okay, Izzy." Clary smiled.

"If I stay with Luke, you should think about laying low somewhere for a bit too." Jocelyn said to Clary.

"She can stay with me." Jace said quickly.

"…Really? Not like you to share your things." Jocelyn questioned.

Jace's eyes widened. "Well, I, uh…in times of trouble I can be a gentleman."

"Jace, you're embarrassing yourself. If Clary needs a place to stay for a bit, she can stay with me. What are we laying low from?" Isabelle asked.

"My psychotic older brother." Clary said.

"…Moving past that bombshell I'll ask you more about some other time…sure thing, you can stay with me. And if the psycho tracks you down I'll pin him to one of my walls with my heel. I've been meaning to redecorate anyway." Isabelle said.

"We'll be ready for him, don't worry." Jace said, taking Clary's hand then panicking and taking Jocelyn's hand with his free one to avoid suspicion.

"Thank you." Jocelyn nodded with a sad smile.

…

"You and Clary are so obvious. If Jocelyn didn't have so much going on right now she'd have sussed what was going on faster than you could say 'Jace, get off my daughter'." Isabelle smiled as she and Jace headed down a corridor towards Alec's office.

"We'll be more careful until we're in a good place to tell her. I can't believe I'm so bad I'm this. I'm awesome at everything." Jace shook his head.

"You've never really been in a serious, meaningful relationship before. Of course you're gonna find it difficult."

"You've never been in a serious relationship either."

"Not true. I was in one for nearly 24 hours until your asshole of an associate called it off." Isabelle spat.

"Is that your way of asking how Simon's doing?" Jace smiled sweetly.

"Please. I couldn't care less if he'd fallen from the top floor of this building." Isabelle said. "…But, I suppose he hasn't?"

"No, he hasn't. He's okay." Jace smiled at her.

"Good. I guess. It'd be the only way he could make even more of a mess of things."

They found themselves at Alec's office and walked in, where Alec was sat at his desk with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh god, it's hideous. What's that on your face?" Jace joked, covering his eyes.

"Screw you." Alec smirked.

"Someone's in a good mood." Isabelle said. "I take it Magnus got a job here?"

"Magnus certainly did." Magnus beamed, walking up behind Jace and Isabelle alongside Maryse.

"We've initially agreed to keep it private, but Magnus will be a huge asset to the firm. Lucian and Robert firmly believe in him, and so do I. We might as well start taking risks with our employees if we're under constant scrutiny anyway."

Jace thought of Simon and held back a smirk.

"Welcome to the family." Isabelle smiled, shaking Magnus' hand.

"You're gonna love it a strong seventy percent of the time, I promise." Jace smiled.

"I thought we could all go out for dinner to celebrate. It's about time we got back to having formal events in public that don't end in reporters getting punched or courts being adjourned." Maryse announced. "You can even bring Simon along if you'd like, Jace."

Jace looked at Isabelle, who rolled her eyes and nodded reluctantly.

"He'll be thrilled." Jace grinned.

…

It was a fairly uneventful dinner, much to everyone's relief. There was a feeling of joy in the air, and even Simon managed to crack a few smiles inbetween staring sadly at Isabelle on the other side of the table. After everyone had finished eating, Magnus insisted on buying everyone a round of cocktails, and it wasn't long before everyone headed to Pandemonium Bar for some drinks.

Robert and Isabelle were sat talking in a booth, Luke and Jocelyn stood nearby laughing together. Simon, Clary and Alec all waited at the bar for the drinks to come, delivering them to everyone as they were made. Jace leant against the other end of the bar with his drink, watching Magnus and Maryse engage in conversation by the jukebox as Clary walked up to him.

"I wish every day could end like this." She smiled.

Jace laughed. "For me it does. Are you sure it's safe to be talking to me?"

Clary grinned. "…As far as most people know, we're just two friends and colleagues having a friendly conversation. As friends. Friendly friends."

"The friendliest." Jace smirked, staring at her for a moment.

"What?" Clary wondered.

"Nothing, it's just…you're just really beautiful." Jace admitted shyly in a way that melted Clary's heart.

"Do you say that to the mirror every morning?" Clary smiled.

"Without fail." Jace chuckled. "But I've never meant it more than I do now."

His words touched Clary immensely. She subtly took his hand in hers, stroking his palm with her thumb. "You know, I really like this side of you."

"Didn't know I had it until I met you." Jace said.

"Oh, come on…you're _Jace Wayland_. You think I believe you when you say there haven't been hundreds of women throwing themselves at you over the years?"

"Of course you don't, and you shouldn't." Jace nodded. "I've had people chasing me down streets screaming my name, but I've never listened to anyone say it until you. You saying my name is, like, the greatest sound in the world. And I don't just mean when you say my name during -"

"-Okay, okay." Clary blushed. "I'm sorry. I promise to stop prejudging you."

"It's okay, everyone does. I use it to my advantage most of the time. So long as you know that I really mean everything I say about you. I just…I've never really had anything serious before and…I don't want to screw this up." Jace admitted, running a hand through his hair.

Clary beamed. "I guess I'll have to just keep you on the right track, then."

"Sounds good to me. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter, Miss Fray."

"You're very welcome, Mr Wayland."

They shared a smile as they let go of each other's hand and looked over to Jocelyn, who was still deep in conversation with Luke.

"Are you sure it's alright?" Jocelyn asked.

"It'd be my pleasure. Just like old times." Luke smiled. "Sebastian won't get anywhere near you, I promise."

He took her hand in his, and she let him, hiding a smile.

From the bar, Simon noticed the exchange between the two of them.

"Have Luke and Jocelyn ever, you know, been a thing?" He asked Alec.

"Not that I know of." Alec shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen, though. According to Izzy, Clary's been rooting for those two for years."

Another drink was placed in front of Simon, who shook his head. "Magnus already bought me a drink. I've had my fill. Who's this one for?"

"You." Alec said. "It's on me. I've been a bit of a dick to you since we met."

"Only a bit?" Simon questioned.

"I'll take the drink back, Lewis."

"Sorry. Go on."

"…Anyway, I was making it out like everything and everyone was against me and I took it out on you; claiming something wasn't right about you because I don't like new people. Izzy's always come to your defence but I wouldn't budge. But you're one of us. So, yeah…I'm sorry. Water under the bridge?" Alec proposed.

"Water under the bridge." Simon grinned. "Did we just become best friends?"

"No."

"Okay."

"Never thought I'd see the day." Maryse observed with a smile as she watched Alec and Simon raise a glass together. "Miracles do happen."

"Everything works out in the end, as today has proved numerous times." Magnus nodded. "Lightwood Garroway will bounce back. It might take time, but it will."

"I know. I can't wait to bring Valentine and Hodge down once and for all." Maryse stated.

"I'll drink to that. Hell, I'll drink to anything." Magnus chuckled as he finished his drink. He looked back over to Alec and smiled as he watched him converse with Simon. "You know, your son is something quite special."

Maryse smiled. "He is."

"Truly. His strength is just so beautiful." Magnus observed.

"Thank you." Maryse said tearfully.

"No need to thank me, you and Robert did all the hard work."

"Not for that." Maryse beamed. "Thank you for loving my boy."

Magnus looked at her, tears filling his eyes too. "It's impossible not to."

Everyone spent the rest of the night laughing, loving and living. They all knew the road ahead wasn't going to be an easy one to follow, but just because a path is cloudy doesn't mean you're not headed for sunshine. Whatever came their way, Lightwood Garroway would still be standing strong.


	25. And One Day We'll All Understand

"Morning, Fray." Simon smiled as he walked up to Clary's cubicle. "How goes the day?"

"Not too bad, I must say." Clary nodded.

"…How's rooming with Izzy going?"

"I think she appreciates the help with cooking. Outside of the recipe she cooked for us that time she's a hideous cook." Clary laughed. "Luckily I have to make myself scarce tonight so Jace will make something edible. But if mom asks I was at Isabelle's every single night, okay?"

"Noted." Simon said. "…Why do you have to make yourself scarce tonight?"

Clary's eyes widened. "Crap."

"What?"

"She, uh…she has a date tonight." Clary admitted shyly.

"Oh." Simon nodded, hoping it wasn't too obvious how much hearing those words had cut him deep.

"I know you ended things with her but I know there's still something there so…I'm sorry, I wasn't going to say anything." Clary winced.

"No, it's fine. G-Good for her. I, uh, I hope the guy's nice."

"Oh, he is. We met him when we went out for drinks. He's hilarious." Clary said, suddenly realising what she was saying. "I mean, he's terrible. He probably murders puppies for a living."

"It's okay, Clary. Really. I had my chance with her; it wasn't meant to be. I'll survive." Simon forced a smile. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Clary nodded, watching sadly as Simon headed off towards the elevator.

Simon barely registered anything as he walked into Jace's office. It took him a few seconds to realise he'd walked straight past Jocelyn and completely ignored her. He turned back to face her. "I'm sorry! I was in another world."

"No problem. Everything okay?" Jocelyn asked.

"Uh…yeah. Thanks." Simon said and headed back into the office, where Jace was sat at his desk staring intensely at Simon.

"What's wrong with you? You look like a little boy who just dropped his ice cream."

"Don't worry about it, I'm just wallowing in self-pity." Simon shrugged.

"That _is_ in character for you, I guess." Jace said. "But hey, I'm feeling sensitive today. What's wrong?"

"Izzy has a date tonight." Simon revealed.

"Ah." Jace sighed. "That kinda sucks."

"I mean, I knew she was gonna have to move on at some point and I know it wasn't gonna take that long for her to find someone interested in her because she's the most gorgeous thing put on this planet but still…I know I can't change anything. I can't be with her. You know I'd never bring you down with me if I got caught so you and Clary can be together but it's different for me." Simon explained sadly.

"You need a drink or two. I suggest rifling through Robert's desk or maybe just try sucking on his blood like a vampire since it's gotta be about sixty percent whiskey running through those veins."

"That's pretty insensitive, Jace."

"That's just who he is, Simon. Always has been if you ask me, he's just not as good at hiding it as he used to be. It's hard for all of us to escape our demons."

"You don't have to tell me that." Simon sighed.

"Look, I've let you talk it out and express your feelings, so my bit's done. If this is the point in the rom com when the protagonist gets an amazing makeover I'd suggest you go to Magnus' office. Or if you actually want to _find_ Magnus, Alec's office." Jace said. "I feel for you, Potter, I do, but surely the best thing to do is to get on with it?"

"…Yeah, you're right."

"Or we could find this guy and kill him."

"That can be Plan B."

…

"What do you think?" Isabelle asked as she stood in Alec's office holding up a red dress on a hanger. "It's for my date tonight."

"I'm not really an expert on this, Iz." Alec shrugged.

"Of course you are, you're gay."

"Being gay and being fashionable aren't always mutually exclusive, you know." Alec smiled.

"Fine. Where's your boyfriend? I'll ask for his opinion." Isabelle said.

"He's at dinner with a potential client. The dress looks lovely and you always look great, so I think you'll be fine." Alec said.

"I know, but the reassurance from others is always nice." Isabelle stated. "I'll go ask Jocelyn and Clary."

With that, Isabelle smiled and headed out of Alec's office. He chuckled to himself as he watched her go and got back to work, but it wasn't long before he was interrupted again, this time by Luke.

"You got a minute?" Luke asked.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Robert and Maryse want me to represent the firm at the lawsuits against us that made it to trial and I was hoping you'd do it with me." Luke explained.

"Really? Me?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know, Luke."

"I know you're still shaky after what Valentine did to you at your last trial, but one day you're gonna have to get back into the courtroom. This can ease you in." Luke said.

"…Did mom and dad set you up to this?" Alec asked.

"They approved, but the idea was mine." Luke replied. "What do you say?"

"…Okay, okay. Fine."

"Excellent. I will leave these in your capable hands, then." Luke smiled, placing some folders he was holding onto Alec's desk. "We can start going over them next week. I'm a bit swamped right now handling other lawsuits and keeping an eye out for Jocelyn's son."

"Sebastian." Alec nodded. "Still, him showing up has its advantages if it means Jocelyn coming to stay with you, right?"

"…I'm sorry?"

"You and Jocelyn…it's gonna happen at some point, so this might finally be it."

"I don't know what your parents have been telling you -"

"-Just that you haven't dated a single woman in nearly twenty years because you're totally in love with Jocelyn. But Izzy and I had worked that out long before we ever asked mom and dad about it."

"I care about Jocelyn a great deal, yes, but…it's not like that." Luke stated.

"It's never too late, Luke. I've come to realise lately that loving with no regrets and no shame is a pretty wonderful thing. Clary wants it to happen too, so you don't even have that to worry about." Alec said.

"She…she does?" Luke questioned.

"Of course she does, you're her dad in every single way except biologically. And that's the only thing about being a father that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things."

Luke was silent for a moment. "…I better get going. Thanks for your help."

"No problem." Alec said, watching Luke leave with a small smirk.

…

Simon knew Jace was right; he needed to throw himself into his work and forget the world. Hell, Jordan had been giving him exactly the same advice for weeks.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride when he thought of Jordan; he had a job of his own and he and Maia had rekindled their relationship without worry of it ending again should Maia move away – she'd been offered her own permanent position at Lightwood Garroway after the firm lost so many staff so wasn't going anywhere. That was one person he could finally stop worrying about.

Now all he needed to focus on was getting Isabelle Lightwood out of his head. Therefore, it didn't help that she was the only person in the staffroom when he walked in to get a cup of coffee.

There was a long silence as they stared at one another.

"Hey." Simon said eventually.

"Hi." Isabelle said firmly before looking away and flicking through the magazine in front of her. "I just made a new batch of coffee."

"…How did you know that's what I came for?"

"Because you always come and get a coffee at 3pm. Which is why I've made an effort to _not_ be here at that time." Isabelle snapped.

"You're here now…" Simon looked confused.

Isabelle looked up at him, closing her magazine. "Was that a question or a statement?"

"…A statement…?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"A statement." Simon said firmly.

"Guess I just lost track of time reading this. I don't normally have such a late lunch break." Isabelle said.

"…Your hair. You don't normally tie it up." Simon noticed. Isabelle had indeed tied it up in a ponytail with a lilac band. "It looks nice."

"Are you really doing this?" Isabelle questioned.

"Sorry. I'll…I'll just get my coffee and go." Simon said.

"Probably best." Isabelle hissed, opening her magazine again as Simon headed over to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. He felt like a mug too.

As he finished pouring, he picked up the mug and slowly headed out the door, expecting Isabelle to start up on him again. When he'd reached the door and she'd said nothing, he turned back.

"Good luck tonight." Simon said.

Isabelle looked up at him, taken back. "…What?"

"Clary said you had a date. She didn't mean to but…yeah. I hope it goes well."

"Oh. Right. Thank you. I'm…I'm looking forward to it." Isabelle said.

"Cool. Me too. I didn't mean to say 'me too'. I panicked. I ramble when I'm nervous." Simon winced. "Thanks for not rubbing it in my face."

Isabelle closed her magazine again. "Do you think that's something I'd do?"

"What? No, no, I just…sorry."

" _You_ were the one who ended it, remember? What is there to rub in your face? You don't want to be with me, so I'm moving on." Isabelle stated furiously. "…I wouldn't rub anything in your face."

Simon went to speak and remind her of some details of the first time they slept together.

"-Again!" Isabelle exclaimed. "I'm not that much of a bitch."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll just go. Sorry." Simon mumbled. "I, uh…just…good luck. See you around."

"Yeah. Bye." Isabelle said, returning to her magazine yet again.

Simon looked down at the floor before giving up and walking out. Isabelle briefly looked up again and watched him go. She put the magazine back in her handbag; she suddenly didn't feel in the mood for very much at all.

Simon didn't feel in the mood for much either; as soon as he downed his coffee and got over the instant regret of the hot liquid burning his mouth he took the elevator to the ground floor, walked out of the building and went home.

…

"This is delicious." Jocelyn smiled that evening as she and Luke sat at his kitchen table eating dinner.

"I thought you'd like it." Luke smiled back. "If something has even the slightest bit of spiciness to it you fall in love."

"I can't even argue with that." Jocelyn laughed. "Everything and everyone is better when they're hot."

"Is that so?" Luke said.

"Very much so." Jocelyn nodded. "Now then, I insist on cooking for _you_ tomorrow. You've been a saint these last few days so it's about time I pay you back in kind."

"If you insist, I won't say no."

They shared a sweet smile as Jocelyn collected the plates and put them in the sink. Luke stared at her as she went and something inside of him seemed to appear out of nowhere and made him take the leap.

"We could always go out for dinner somewhere." Luke said nervously.

"I thought you didn't like eating out unless it was for work." Jocelyn questioned as she joined him back at the table.

"I don't, but this would be different. I'd, uh…I'd be with you." Luke swallowed. "We could go to that place on 32nd I know you love. If you wanted to. Just the, um…just the two of us."

He finally had the courage to look her in the eyes. He poured his very soul out of them and into hers.

"Lucian…" Jocelyn began.

"I don't like it when you call me Lucian."

"…Luke…is this…are you…would this be a, um…a date?" Jocelyn finally asked.

Luke swallowed again. "It…it could be."

Jocelyn was silent for a moment. "I, um…where is this coming from?"

"Just…something Alec was saying to me today. That and the twenty years I've spent being in awe of everything you do." Luke admitted.

Jocelyn could hardly breath as she saw Luke's eyes light up in a way she never had before.

Luke took her hands in his from across the table. "Seeing everything you've overcome and being so great with Clary and the firm…seeing you take no crap from anyone…watching you grow older disgracefully…"

Jocelyn laughed at that one.

"…I've always been blown away by you. You always get up every time you're knocked down. You…you inspire me every day. And I know I shouldn't be saying any of this because this is over twenty years of friendship but…it's also twenty years of me being in love with you."

Jocelyn's heart was racing. Her eyes were on fire.

"And life's too short. Though judging by the look in your eyes it's going to be even shorter than I imagined." Luke finished. "I've gone too far…I'm, I'm sorry. Just forget I even said anything. I just needed to say it."

Silence for a moment.

"Jocelyn…" Luke began.

He couldn't finish since Jocelyn stood up, walked round the table towards him and pressed her lips against his. It was a gentle kiss at first, but soon it grew more passionate as Luke caught up with what was happening. They maintained the kiss as they stood and backed up against the wall while she began unbuttoning his shirt.

…

"Everything okay?"

The words from the man sat opposite her made Isabelle snap back to reality and realise she was just staring into her glass of wine for god knows how long. She looked up at her handsome date (what was his name, Charlie?) and smiled. "I'm sorry! I was in another world."

"No problem." Charlie laughed. "Though you _have_ looked at your wine a lot more than you've looked at me. Something on your mind?"

"…No, it's nothing. I'd rather not talk about them. Let's talk about you doing all your doctor stuff." Isabelle.

"…Ah, I see. Talk about 'them'." Charlie nodded. "A guy, I'm guessing."

"It doesn't matter. It's over and done with now. That's why I'm here." Isabelle said.

"Well, I'm glad you showed up. I know your friend kinda instigated this at the bar so I wasn't sure if you were that interested." Charlie admitted.

"Of course I'm interested; I bought this dress specially. I'll admit I wasn't too sold on the idea of dating so soon after Si…anyway, I needed to get back out there." Isabelle nodded.

"Must've been serious with the last guy then, if a girl who looks like you is afraid of dating." Charlie commented.

"Do _you_ wanna date him, or…?" Isabelle shrugged. "…Sorry, I…it's not exactly a good topic for a first date, is it?"

"Well, it's never healthy to hold on to that baggage; talking it out can help."

"There's not much to say. He was very interested, I was very interested, then one minute he decided he wasn't interested at all. I guess I just…it was a first for me to be the one getting dumped. I mean, we were barely even a thing to begin with. We were just chasing each other around for a while. I'd never been in love before so I didn't realise that's what was happening." Isabelle said. She felt her heartbeat slow for a moment as her words caught up with her.

"Oh. _Very_ serious, then." Charlie said, slightly awkwardly.

"…Sorry, I…I don't know where that all came from." Isabelle admitted, wondering why she felt tears in her eyes. "I don't know why I'm crying."

"Yes you do." Charlie smiled. "You're just not over this guy, and that's okay. I've been there. Loving someone is hard, and hating someone you love is even harder. But hate is too strong an emotion to waste on someone you don't like."

Isabelle wiped her eyes. "…I'm sorry. I think I might have wasted your night."

"Don't apologise. It's okay. How about we finish our drinks and share a cab home?" Charlie suggested.

Isabelle nodded with a sad smile.

…

"No word from Isabelle and mom's not picking up. Clearly no one wants to speak to me." Clary chuckled as she glared at her phone screen, her head resting on Jace's lap as they sat on his couch.

"Idiots." Jace smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair delicately.

There was a sudden knock on the door as Simon's voice shouted out. "Jace! Clary! Are you dressed?"

"I say 'idiots' and he appears. Not a coincidence." Jace smirked and Clary giggled as he got up and opened the door. "Potter. Wanna tell me why you left work early today?"

"Can I come in?" Simon asked, rushing past Jace regardless.

"I guess so." Jace sighed as he closed the door.

"Everything okay?" Clary asked Simon as she sat up.

"No. I'm not. All I can think about is Isabelle out on a date with some guy who's probably a King or supermodel and I was just sat there trying to watch TV with Jordan and Maia sucking face right next to me and I just…I had to get out of there and I…can I just hang here? Please?" Simon begged.

"So you escaped third wheeling one couple to come here and third wheel a different couple?" Jace asked.

"…Crap." Simon sighed.

"It's okay Simon, you can stay." Clary smiled. "Do you want some leftovers from what Jace cooked for us? It's delicious."

"Really?" Simon grinned, looking at Jace like an excited puppy. "Can I?"

Jace sighed. "Knock yourself out."

Simon jumped up and hurried happily into the kitchen as Jace joined Clary back on the couch.

"I meant that literally." Jace added as he sat down, making Clary laugh again.

"Behave." Clary ordered with a grin as she pulled Jace in for a kiss just as Simon walked back in with a plate of food. They broke the kiss and looked at him.

Simon grimaced. "Sorry. I can go if you want."

Jace looked at Clary, who retaliated with a stern glare. Jace looked back at Simon with a forced smile. "Of course not. Stay and eat my food."

"Thanks!" Simon said and sat down on the armchair next to the couch as he tucked in. "I swear my stomach has grown lately. I'm always hungry. Oh man, this is awesome! What did you put in this, Jace?"

Simon looked up from the food and realised his question for Jace had yet again interrupted their kissing.

"Never mind. Don't mind me." Simon smiled sadly, looking back down at the plate.

Clary stared at Simon sympathetically. "Simon, if you're this bummed about Isabelle, just patch things up! You still won't tell me why you ended things anyway."

"I just can't. But it still sucks." Simon sighed. "Just please reassure me that this guy she's out with isn't a King or a supermodel."

"No, he's not. He's a doctor."

"Ouch." Jace said as Simon groaned audibly.

"That's even worse!" Simon exclaimed.

"How is that worse?" Clary questioned.

"You've seen that episode of Friends with George Clooney. Girls love doctors." Jace nodded.

"I'd rather find out a guy I was dating was a king than a doctor." Clary said, looking at Jace.

"No such luck I'm afraid, sweetie pie." He smiled.

"Yeah, but people will marry kings for their fortunes even if they're ugly. No matter how you look, being a doctor makes you at least like five times more attractive." Simon explained.

"I'd say ten times more, honestly." Jace shrugged.

"Not helping!" Simon said. "Maybe I should sign up for medical school? No, wait; I hate the sight of blood."

"How would leaving a career in law for medicine suddenly allow you to date Izzy again?" Clary questioned.

Another knock on the door prevented an awkward moment as Jace got up to answer it, shocked to see Isabelle stood there.

"I'm not okay. Clary!" Isabelle shouted as she barged past Jace.

"Izzy, wait!" Jace shouted after her.

Isabelle stopped as she entered the living area and saw Simon sat there. Simon looked at her and instantly dropped his fork, spilling food down his shirt.

"Izzy? You're back early." Clary said.

"Yeah. What are you doing here?" Isabelle said to Simon.

"…I'm eating." Simon said timidly. "Do you want some?"

"No!" Isabelle exclaimed. "I wanted to talk to my friend about my date but I guess it'll wait for tomorrow. I take it you're staying here tonight?"

"Uh, yeah. Unless you want me to come back to yours?" Clary asked.

"No, it's fine. Just…you guys have fun. I'll see you tomorrow." Isabelle said, turning to leave.

"Wait, I can walk you back if you like? It's getting late." Simon suggested.

"That's funny." Isabelle said as she headed out.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Simon said, putting down the plate of food and rushing out, ignoring Jace and Clary shouting out after him.

"Izzy, wait!" Simon shouted as he rushed over to Isabelle across the street.

"I can walk home on my own, Simon." Isabelle stated.

"At least let me get you a cab or something." Simon suggested.

"I got a cab here, thanks. I feel like walking."

"Izzy, please."

"It's _Isabelle_."

"Isabelle, just wait."

Simon was surprised when she actually did stop and turn to face him; he almost ran into her. "What?"

"…I don't know. I didn't think I'd get this far."

Isabelle rolled her eyes and went to continue walking, but Simon grabbed her arm.

"Get your hand off me or I swear I'll break it." Isabelle spat.

"Okay, sorry." Simon let go of her. "I just…let's just talk this through."

"We did, remember? When you happened to decide you didn't want to be with me."

"That's not true; I want to be with you more than anything, but I _can't_." Simon argued.

"And yet you won't tell me why. Which is honestly worse. Just tell me you don't want to be with me and stop messing around." Isabelle pleaded.

"I won't lie to you like that."

"You won't give me a reason why, you already _are_ lying to me!" Isabelle screamed.

"NOT ABOUT _THIS_ , OKAY?" Simon shouted back. "I will _not_ lie to you about how I feel, even if it would make things better between us. I will not look you in the eye and tell you I don't think you're the most beautiful girl in the world. I won't tell you that I don't want to be with you so much it hurts every time I see you. I won't tell you that I don't lov-"

He stopped himself, tears in his eyes. "…I still want you in my life, Izzy. Isabelle. Even if we can't…I still need you to be in my life. We were friends not too long ago before I messed it all up and I just…I'm begging you to find a way to be my friend again if nothing else."

Isabelle was crying. "You think I _don't_ want you in my life? You make me laugh."

Simon swallowed. "I used to."

"…I can't look at you without hearing you say we can't be together. Every time I think of you I either want to scream or cry but I still…I still think about you all the time anyway. I can't even go on one stupid dinner date with a nice guy because all I can think about is that I'd give anything to be sat at that table with _you_!"

Isabelle let out a huge sigh as she wiped her eyes. "I'm going home now, Simon. And I'll be fine on my own."

Simon let his tears fall. "…Okay."

"I think…we just need time. Both of us. I don't know how much, but just…time. To be happy again." Isabelle choked. She stared at him for a moment longer before turning around and walking off into the night.

Simon watched her until he couldn't see her any longer, and even then couldn't find it in himself to move and accept that life went on without Isabelle Lightwood.

…

"Someone looks overly joyful this morning." Jace noticed as he approached his office and saw Jocelyn sat very happily at her desk.

"I had a very enjoyable night." Jocelyn smiled.

"You and Luke had some fun then?"

"Quite a few times."

Jace went to question that last comment before Jocelyn spoke again.

"Simon's waiting in your office. Looks pretty glum."

"Wonderful. He even came to my place last night and interrupted my night with Cl…Clayton." Jace panicked.

"Clayton?" Jocelyn questioned.

"Yeah, Clayton. One of my friends; mention him all the time."

"Do you?"

"Clearly you blank out when I talk sometimes. How rude." Jace said, sighing with relief as he turned and headed into his office to see Simon sat in front of his desk. "Thanks for last night, buddy old pal."

"I'm sorry, okay? I know it wasn't my finest hour."

"Don't I know it? Leaving early and then showing up at my place. You could've called so I could tell you no." Jace said.

"I'm gonna tell Isabelle the truth." Simon stated. "I can't keep this up; I can't let there be this divide between us when I can fix it."

"Or there'll be an even bigger divide when she finds out you've been lying to her since the day you met." Jace argued.

"I have to take the risk."

"Simon, we've talked about this time and time again. If she tells the police -"

"- She wouldn't do that. I know that's not who she is." Simon said.

"And she thinks you're a guy with a law degree working here legally!"

"Look, this is something I have to do. I'm not asking for your permission; you know if anything went wrong I'd make sure you won't go down with me."

"But I still don't want you to go to prison!" Jace exclaimed. "This is madness!"

"I trust her with my secret." Simon nodded sternly.

Jace put his head in his hands and turned to look out the window, releasing a deep sigh. "You know what, Simon? If you wanna risk everything we've built, fine. Even if I don't go to prison, I'll still lose my job here. And then everyone would know what we've done and how we've lied through our teeth. But sure, you want to start banging Isabelle again so you knock yourself out and hope she doesn't tell the world that you're actually a fraud."

A new voice filled the room.

"…What?"


End file.
